Patent ID: 8419817

Claim:
A filter comprising: a length of filter media defining a front face and a rear face and having a plurality of pleats defined by a plurality of fold lines, each fold line being intermediate oppositely sloping first and second laterally planar wall surfaces, wherein the plurality of fold lines comprise a first plurality of pleat tips and a second plurality of pleat valleys; and a substantially nonlinear adhesive strand applied on the front face of the filter media after formation of the plurality of pleats and in discontinuous contact with the filter media, wherein the adhesive strand contacts the filter media at a pleat tip and contacts the filter media at a portion of a first wall surface and contacts the filter media at a portion of a second wall surface; wherein a portion of the adhesive strand on the first wall surface contacts a portion of the adhesive strand on the second wall surface to form a finger that acts as a structural reinforcer for the pleats.