Patent ID: 8038878

Claim:
A filtered reservoir system for a cooling system, comprising: a coolant reservoir, said coolant reservoir having at least a first chamber, at least one second chamber and an interior wall substantially separating said first and second chambers, wherein coolant overflowing from said cooling system enters said first chamber; a cap member having a first engagement member; a mounting member having a sleeve-like wall and a central aperture sized and configured to receive a replaceable filter element therein, said sleeve-like wall having a complimentary second engagement member for removeably mounting said cap member to said mounting member to close out said central aperture, said mounting member protruding downwards from a bottom wall of said reservoir to form a cup-like depression under said interior wall, said cup-like depression having a first portion in fluid communication with said first chamber and a second portion in fluid communication with said second chamber; said replaceable filter element configured to mount into said central aperture and adapted to filter particulates from coolant, said filter element having: a mounting flange sized and configured to abut against said sleeve-like wall; a support body having an interior void and secured at a first end to said mounting flange, said support body extending upwards into said second chamber and having at least one outlet aperture and at least one inlet aperture, said outlet and inlet apertures extending through said support body into said interior void; and at least one filter media member secured in said interior void and occluding said outlet apertures such that coolant exiting said outlet apertures must be filtered by said filter media member; wherein when said filter element is mounted in said cup-like depression, said inlet aperture is in fluid communication with said first chamber and said outlet apertures are in fluid communication with said second chamber, wherein said support body has a planar first surface aligned with and abutting said interior wall, said first surface cooperating with said interior wall to provide fluid closure between said first and second chambers such that fluid flow through said cup-like depression between said first and second chambers is constrained to flow through said filter media.