Patent Publication Number: US-2013239531-A1

Title: Air cleaner

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an air cleaner and, more particularly, to an air cleaner that prevents a seal device that hermetically seals the inside of the air cleaner from being damaged or being turned up and assembled at the time of assembly of a filter element, and enables assembly of the filter element to an accurate position in an accurate state. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Conventionally, as an air cleaner for an internal combustion engine, there has been known such an air cleaner in which a case and a cover are connected to each other by a hinge structure configured by a hinge and a hinge receiving portion, and the case and the cover are formed to be openable and closable by being rotated with respect to each other. In such an air cleaner, an intake port is formed in one of the case and the cover, whereas an exhaust port is formed in the other one, and a filter element is housed in the inside thereof with an outer edge of the filter element sandwiched by the case and the cover so that the intake port and the exhaust port communicate with each other via the filter element. 
     Further, the air cleaner has the function of filtering out dust and the like included in external air taken in from the intake port, and supplying the filtered external air to an internal combustion engine side from the exhaust port, and therefore, the inside of the air cleaner is hermetically sealed so as not to communicate with an outside. As the structure of the hermetical sealing, various structures are known, and, as described in, for example, Patent Literature 1, there is known a method for hermetically sealing the inside of the air cleaner by providing the seal device at the outer edge of the filter element, and sandwiching the seal device with the case and the cover. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-36701 
     The air cleaner described in Patent Literature 1 realizes hermetical sealing of the air cleaner by the packing, which is formed on the outer edge of the filter element, being housed in the top surface of the case in such a manner as to be sandwiched between the peripheral edge of the cover and the peripheral edge of the case. Further, a filter element is a member requiring regular replacement, and therefore, when the replacement operation of the filter element is performed in a state in which the air cleaner is assembled to a vehicle body, the packing slides with respect to the opening, whereby the packing is damaged or turned up and assembled, and is likely to degrade sealing performance. In order to prevent this, the air cleaner includes a case  120  having an opening, a cover that opens and closes the opening of the case  120 , and a filter element  130  that has a packing  133  attached to a peripheral edge, and is housed in the aforementioned case  120  by being inserted from the opening of the aforementioned case  120 , and includes the configuration in which inside the aforementioned case  120 , a guide  121  that supports a distal end side in the insertion direction of the filter element  130  from below halfway through insertion of the aforementioned filter element  130 , and guides the aforementioned filter element  130  to avoid contact of the aforementioned packing  133  and the opening of the aforementioned case  120 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . Further, as another method for preventing a packing from being damaged or turned up, there is known a method for preventing a packing  133 ′ from being damaged or turned up by disposing the packing  133 ′ at a lower side, which slides with a seal surface  125  of the case  120  at the time of assembly of a filter element  130 ′, in an opposite orientation from a packing  133  at an upper side, as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     As above, the air cleaner described in Patent Literature 1 hermetically seals the inside of the air cleaner by sandwiching the filter element with the case and the cover, and prevents the packing from being damaged or turned up by providing the guide inside the case and adjusting the shape of the packing. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     According to the configuration of the conventional air cleaner described above, the air cleaner described in Patent Literature 1 has the guide  121  formed in the case  120  as the method for preventing the packing from being damaged or turned up, and therefore, has the problem that the capacity of the inside of the case  120  decreases and the case  120  increases in size in order to ensure the capacity of the air cleaner. Further, in the case  120  to be the channel of a fluid, the guide  121  is formed, and therefore, there is the possibility of inhibiting smooth ventilation. Further, according to the method for preventing the packing from being damaged and turned up illustrated as in  FIG. 11 , the packing  133 ′ at the lower side is disposed in the opposite orientation from the packing  133  at the upper side, and therefore, there is the problem of significantly reducing the sealing performance in the direction toward the inside from the outside of the air cleaner, and being unable to ensure the performance of the air cleaner. 
     Thus, the present invention is made in the light of the above described problems, and has an object to provide an air cleaner that can reliably seal the air cleaner hermetically without causing reduction in the capacity of the air cleaner and increase in the size of the air cleaner. 
     Solution to Problem 
     An air cleaner according to the present invention is an air cleaner including a housing constituted of a case in which an opening and an inlet port are formed, and a cover that has an outlet port formed, and hermetically seals the opening, and including a filter element that partitions an inside of the housing into a dust side on a side of the inlet port, and a clean side on a side of the outlet port, the filter element including a filter portion that filters a fluid flowing from the inlet port, and a flange portion having a seal device that hermetically seals the opening along the opening and is formed by being extended toward an outer side of the housing, wherein the flange portion further includes a seal device protection portion extending along an extending direction of the flange portion. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the seal device protection portion is preferably extended along an insertion direction at a time of assembling the filter element to the housing. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the seal device protection portion is preferably inserted into a cutout portion formed on the case. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the seal device protection portion preferably protrudes to an outside of the case. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the seal device protection portion preferably includes, at a distal end portion, a protruding portion that protrudes to a side of the case. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the seal device protection portion is preferably formed integrally with the seal device. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, two or more of the seal device protection portions are preferably formed. 
     The outline of the above described invention is not the list of all the necessary features of the present invention, and the sub combination of the feature groups also can be the invention. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     The air cleaner according to the present invention includes a seal device protection portion extending along an extending direction of the flange portion at the filter element, and therefore, the filter element can be reliably installed into the housing without reducing the capacity of the case, and without causing damage and turning up of the seal device. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the seal device protection portion is extended along an insertion direction at a time of assembling the filter element to the housing. Therefore, the seal device does not contact the opening at the time of assembly of the filter element, damage and turning-up of the seal device is prevented, the seal device can be assembled in the correct attitude, and the air cleaner can be reliably sealed hermetically. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the seal device protection portion is inserted into the cutout portion formed on the case, and therefore, when the filter element is inserted with an erroneous orientation of the filter element, erroneous assembly of the filter element can be prevented. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the seal device protection portion protrudes to an outside of the case. Therefore, it can be visually confirmed from the outside of the air cleaner that the filter element is assembled, and omission of assembly of the filter element can be prevented. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the seal device protection portion includes the protruding portion that protrudes to a side of the case. Therefore, the protruding portion slides with the case at the time of assembly of the filter element, and the seal device and the case can be prevented from contacting each other. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, the seal device protection portion is formed integrally with the seal device. Therefore, by integral molding, the seal device protection portion can be easily formed, and the manufacture cost can be suppressed. 
     Further, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, two or more of the seal device protection portions are formed. Therefore, the filter element can be prevented from being inserted by being diagonally inclined, the seal device does not contact the opening at the time of assembly of the filter element, damage and turning-up of the seal device are prevented, the seal device can be assembled in the correct attitude, and the air cleaner can be reliably sealed hermetically. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view for explaining an outline of an air cleaner according to a first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view for explaining a configuration of the air cleaner according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view for explaining a configuration of a filter element which is assembled to the air cleaner according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view for explaining a configuration of a seal device protection portion. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view for explaining a cutout portion of a case. 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective view for explaining an assembled state of the filter element. 
         FIG. 7(   a ) is a view for explaining a procedure of assembling the filter element to the air cleaner according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 7(   b ) is a view for explaining the procedure of assembling the filter element to the air cleaner according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 7(   c ) is a view for explaining the procedure of assembling the filter element to the air cleaner according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 8(   a ) is a view for explaining a procedure of assembling a filter element to an air cleaner according to a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 8(   b ) is a view for explaining the procedure of assembling the filter element to the air cleaner according to the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 8(   c ) is a view for explaining the procedure of assembling the filter element to the air cleaner according to the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a front view for explaining a configuration of a filter element which is assembled to an air cleaner according to a third embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view for explaining a structure of a conventional air cleaner. 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional view for explaining another structure of the conventional air cleaner. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with use of the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the invention according to each of the claims, and all of combinations of the features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a front view for explaining an outline of an air cleaner according to a first embodiment,  FIG. 2  is a front view for explaining a configuration of the air cleaner according to the first embodiment,  FIG. 3  is a front view for explaining a configuration of a filter element which is assembled to the air cleaner according to the first embodiment,  FIG. 4  is an enlarged view for explaining a configuration of a seal device protection section,  FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view for explaining a cutout portion of a case,  FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective view for explaining an assembled state of the filter element,  FIGS. 7(   a ) to ( c ) are views for explaining a procedure of assembling the filter element to the air cleaner according to the first embodiment. Note that the directions illustrated as the arrows in  FIG. 1  are defined as an upper and a lower directions. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , an air cleaner  1  according to the present embodiment is configured by including a housing constituted of a case  20  and a cover  10  which closes an opening  22  of the case  20 , and by a filter element  30  interposed between the case  20  and the cover  10 . 
     The case  20  is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape having the opening  22 , and an inlet port  21  from which an intake fluid such as external air is introduced is formed. 
     The cover  10  is assembled to close the opening  22  of the case  20 , as described above, and an outlet port  11  from which the intake fluid is discharged to an internal combustion engine side is formed. Note that the cover  10  is detachably assembled to the case  20  by a hinge portion  12  formed on the cover  10  being engaged with a hinge receiving portion  24  formed on the case  20 . Further, the case  20  and the cover  10  are assembled by a latch portion  13  in a state in which the cover  10  closes the opening  22  of the case  20 . For the latch portion  13 , a known latch device such as a clip and snap fit can be applied other than fastening by a bolt and a nut. Note that the case  20  and the cover  10  are formed by a thermoplastic synthetic resin such as a polypropylene resin and a polyamide resin. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the filter element  30  includes a filter portion  31  which filters the intake fluid flowing in from the inlet port  21 , and a flange portion  32  that is mounted with seal devices  33  that hermetically seal the opening  22  along the opening  22 , and is formed by being extended toward an outer side of the housing. The filter element  30  provides partition between a dust side that communicates with the inlet port  21 , and a clean side that communicates with the outlet port  11 , and hermetically seals the inside of the housing by being sandwiched by the case  20  and the cover  10  by the seal device  33  being placed on a seal surface  25  formed along the peripheral edge of the opening  22  of the aforementioned case  20 , and the cover  10  being assembled from above the seal device  33 . 
     The filter portion  31  is constituted of a filter material  31   b  formed by pleating unwoven fabric, filter paper or the like, and a frame  31   a  that holds the filter material  31   b,  and pleating is applied to the filter material  31   b,  whereby increase in a filter area and suppression of ventilation resistance are achieved. Note that the filter material  31   b  can also be configured as a planar sheet without applying pleating. 
     The flange portion  32  is formed to be extended toward the outer side of the housing from the frame  31   a  to be along the seal surface  25 , and the seal devices  33  are mounted on a top and a bottom surfaces thereof. The seal devices  33  are formed into tongue shapes which protrude in diagonally upper and lower directions toward the case  20  and the cover  10  from the flange portion  32 . The seal devices  33  are formed of a material having an elastic force such as rubber and elastomer, and the seal devices  33  are deformed by being sandwiched by the case  20  and the cover  10 , and thereby, seal against the intake fluid passing through the inside of the air cleaner  1 . As above, the filter element  30  partitions the inside of the air cleaner  1  into a dust side on a side communicating with the inlet port  21 , and a clean side on a side communicating with the outlet port  11 . Note that the extending direction of the flange portion  32  is formed to be substantially horizontal with an insertion direction F of the filter element  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , a seal device protection portion  34  extending along the insertion direction F of the filter element  30  from the distal end of the flange portion  32  is mounted on the flange portion  32 . At the seal device protection portion  34 , a protruding portion  35  that protrudes toward a side of the seal surface  25  that is formed at the opening  22  of the case  20 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , the filter element  30  is assembled by the seal device protection portion  34  being inserted into the cutout portion  23  formed at the opening  22  of the case  20 . In the state in which the filter element  30  is assembled to the case  20 , the seal device protection portion  34  is assembled by protruding to the outside of the case  20 . Note that the seal device protection portion  34  and the protruding portion  35  are formed integrally with the seal devices  33 . 
     Next, with reference to  FIGS. 7(   a ) to ( c ), an assembling method of the filter element  30  of the air cleaner  1  according to the present embodiment will be described. Note that in  FIGS. 7(   a ) to ( c ), illustration of the cover  10  which closes the case  20  is omitted, but since a plurality of components are disposed around the internal combustion engine, the cover  10  cannot be removed from the case  20  at the time of a replacement operation of the filter element  30 , and therefore, the assembling operation of the filter element  30  needs to be performed in the state in which the opening  22  cannot be sufficiently opened. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7(   a ), the filter element  30  is inserted along the insertion direction F from diagonally above the opening  22  of the case  20 . When the filter element  30  is inserted, the protruding portion  35  which protrudes to the case  20  side abuts on the seal surface  25  of the opening  22 , in the seal device protection portion  34  formed on the distal end of the flange portion  32 . 
     When the filter element  30  is further inserted along the insertion direction F in the state in which the protruding portion  35  abuts on the seal surface  25 , the protruding portion  35  slides along the seal surface  25  as illustrated in  FIG. 7(   b ). Since the protruding portion  35  is formed on the seal device protection portion  34  as above, the seal device  33  does not touch the seal surface  25  when the protruding portion  35  slides along the seal surface  25 , and damage and turning-up of the seal device  33  can be prevented. 
     Furthermore, the air cleaner  1  according to the present embodiment can ensure the capacity of the air cleaner, and can suppress increase in the size of the air cleaner while keeping the performance, because a guide does not have to be formed in the inside of the case  20 . 
     Note that as illustrated in  FIG. 7(   c ), in the state in which the filter element  30  is assembled to the case  20 , the protruding portion  35  separates from the seal surface  25  and protrudes to the outside of the case  20 , and therefore, the protruding portion  35  does not inhibit hermetical sealing of the seal device  33 . 
     Further, since the seal device protection portion  34  protrudes to the outside of the case  20 , it can be visually confirmed that the filter element  30  is assembled, from the outside of the air cleaner  1  after the replacement operation of the filter element  30  is finished, and it can be confirmed that the filter element  30  is reliably assembled by the replacement operation. 
     Further, the seal device protection portion  34  is inserted into the cutout portion  23  which is formed at the opening  22  of the case  20 , and therefore, the filter element  30  can be prevented from being assembled inside out. 
     The air cleaner according to the first embodiment is described above. However, the air cleaner according to the present invention is not limited to the above mode. Thus, an air cleaner having another mode will be described next. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIGS. 8(   a ) to ( c ) are views for explaining a procedure of assembling a filter element to an air cleaner according to a second embodiment. In the air cleaner according to the second embodiment described as follows, the same or the similar members as or to the air cleaner according to the first embodiment described above will be assigned with the same reference signs and the description thereof will be omitted in some cases. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8(   a ), the air cleaner according to the present embodiment is formed substantially similarly to the air cleaner according to the first embodiment described above, and the characteristic point is the point in which the shape of a seal device protection portion  34   a  includes an extended portion  36  which is formed by the seal device protection portion  34  further being extended along the insertion direction F. 
     In the air cleaner according to the present embodiment formed in this manner, a filter element  30   a  is inserted along the insertion direction F from diagonally above the opening  22  of the case  20 , as illustrated in  FIG. 8(   a ), at the time of a replacement operation of the filter element  30   a.  When the filter element  30   a  is inserted, in the seal device protection portion  34   a  which is formed on a distal end of the flange portion  32 , the extended portion  36  which is further extended from a distal end thereof abuts on the seal surface  25  of the opening  22 . 
     When the filter element  30   a  is further inserted along the insertion direction F in the state in which the extended portion  36  abuts on the seal surface  25 , the extended portion slides along the seal surface  25  as illustrated in  FIG. 8(   b ). Since the extended portion  36  is formed on the seal device protection portion  34   a  like this, the seal device  33  does not touch the seal surface  25  when the extended portion  36  slides along the seal surface  25 , and damage and turning-up of the seal device  33  can be prevented. 
     Note that in the state in which the filter element  30   a  is assembled to the case  20 , the extended portion  36  separates from the seal surface  25  and protrudes to the outside of the case  20  as illustrated in  FIG. 8(   c ), and therefore, the extended portion  36  does not inhibit hermetical sealing of the seal device  33 . 
     The air cleaner according to the second embodiment is described above. However, the air cleaner according to the present invention is not limited to this mode. Thus, an air cleaner having another mode will be described next. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIG. 9  is a front view for explaining a configuration of a filter element which is assembled to an air cleaner according to a third embodiment. Note that in the air cleaner according to the third embodiment described as follows, members which are the same as or similar to the air cleaners according to the first and the second embodiments described above will be assigned with the same reference signs, and the description thereof will be omitted in some cases. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the air cleaner according to the present embodiment is formed substantially similarly to the air cleaner according to the first embodiment described above, and a characteristic point is the point in which a seal device protection portion  34   b  is formed integrally with the flange portion  32  of a filter element  30   b.  Namely, in the filter element  30   b  used in the air cleaner according to the present embodiment, the flange portion  32  is formed by being extended along the seal surface from the element portion  31 , and the seal devices  33  are mounted on a top and a bottom surfaces thereof. 
     Further, the flange portion  32  protrudes from the seal devices  33  toward the extending direction of the flange portion  32  to form the seal device protection portion  34   b.  Furthermore, at the seal device protection portion  34   b,  a protruding portion  37  that protrudes toward the side of the seal surface  25  which is formed at the opening  22  of the case  20 . 
     Since in the air cleaner according to the present embodiment, the seal device protection portion  34   b  is formed integrally with the flange portion  32  as above, the seal device  33  does not touch the seal surface  25 , and damage and turning-up of the seal device  33  can be prevented, when the seal device protection portion  34   b  slides along the seal surface  25  formed on the case  20  when the filter element  30   b  is assembled. Further, since the flange portion  32  and the case  20  are both formed of a synthetic resin, the slide resistance at the time of the seal device protection portion  34   b  sliding along the seal surface  25  can be reduced, and as compared with the case of sliding rubber and a synthetic resin, a replacement operation of the filter element  30   b  can be performed easily. 
     As described above, in the air cleaners according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the case of forming only one seal device protection portion  34  is described, but two or more of the seal device protection portions  34 ,  34   a  and  34   b  may be formed. If two or more of the seal device protection portions  34 ,  34   a  and  34   b  are formed, the filter elements  30 ,  30   a  and  30   b  can be prevented from being diagonally assembled with respect to the horizontal plane along the insertion direction at the time of insertion of the filter elements  30 ,  30   a  and  30   b,  and the seal devices can be protected more reliably. It is obvious from the description of Claims that the modes to which such modifications or alterations are added also can be included in the technical range of the present invention. 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       1  air cleaner,  10  cover,  11  outlet port,  12  hinge portion,  13  latch portion,  20  case,  21  inlet port,  22  opening,  23  cutout portion,  24  hinge receiving portion,  25 ,  125  seal surface,  30 ,  30   a,    30   b,    130 ,  130 ′ filter element,  31  filter portion,  32  flange portion,  33 ,  133 ,  133 ′ seal device,  34 ,  34   a,    34   b  seal device protection portion,  35 , 37  protruding portion,  36  extended portion,  121  guide, F insertion direction