Patent ID: 7615146

Claim:
A fluid filter assembly, comprising: a vertical housing having a fluid inlet for communicating said fluid into said housing and a fluid outlet for communicating said fluid downstream of said housing; a filter element disposed within said housing in fluid communication between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet, said filter element having a filter media for filtering said fluid and allowing air/vapor to pass therethrough when the pressure across said filter element is below, at, and above a predetermined pressure level, and said filter element having an upper end and a lower end; and a restrictive filter media located at said upper end of said filter element, said restrictive filter media more restrictive to fluid flow than said filter media, said restrictive filter media configured to prevent the flow of said fluid and/or air vapor through said restrictive filter media until the pressure across said filter element reaches said predetermined pressure level such that said fluid and/or air/vapor passes through said restrictive filter media when the pressure across said filter element reaches said predetermined pressure level causing said fluid in said housing to rise, and said restrictive filter media configuration to maintain the level of said fluid within said housing at or below said restrictive filter media until the pressure across said filter element exceeds the predetermined pressure thereby providing an indicator that said filter element needs to be replaced when the level of said fluid is above said restrictive filter media.