Patent ID: 8857628

Claim:
A filter for filtering a liquid, said filter comprising: i) a housing including a spacer received into and enclosed in a lower portion of said housing, a lower wall of said housing and said spacer forming a collection space therebetween for liquids, said spacer including a threaded central eye, said eye comprising liquid channels formed as grooves in a material of the spacer and extending radially from the eye to permit flow of the separated liquid to the eye from a lower portion of said collection space, wherein said spacer includes a tapered support ring with an outer circumferential portion tapering upwards to rest against a wall of said housing; ii) a filter medium received in the housing and resting non-attached on said tapered support ring, said tapered support ring radially centering said filter medium in said housing; iii) an outlet opening formed in a lower region of the filter housing for discharging a separated liquid from the filter; wherein said spacer includes support webs extending radially from said eye, said webs supporting said support ring upon said lower wall of said housing to define said collection space; wherein the spacer comprises a threaded mount for a separated liquid outlet component that can be screwed into the spacer through the housing; wherein said eye of said spacer is a plate-like member having said threaded mount in a central portion, said plate-like member having a bottom face positioned parallel to and lying upon said lower wall of said housing; wherein said liquid channels are formed by radially extending grooves formed into an exterior wall of the plate-like member on its bottom face, the radially extending grooves closed over by the lower wall of said housing forming circumferentially closed liquid channels arranged external to and underneath the spacer plate-like member and closed over by the bottom housing wall; wherein the walls that circumferentially enclose the liquid channels consisting of: the bottom face of the plate-like member; and the bottom wall of the housing; wherein the liquid channels have two opposing openings; a radially outer opening at a radial outer circumference of the plate-like eye member, the radially outer opening arranged exterior to and underneath the plate-like eye member and at the lower wall of the housing, the radially outer opening arranged to drain liquid from the collection space; and an opposing radially inner opening at the thread mount in a central portion of the plate-like eye member, the radially inner opening arranged exterior to and underneath the plate-like eye member and at the lower wall of the housing; wherein the closed grooves are circumferentially closed from the radially outer opening to the radially inner opening by the bottom face of the plate-like member and the bottom wall of the housing, the grooves arranged externally on the bottom face underneath the plate-like member, providing liquid discharge underneath the plate-like eye member to the outlet opening.