Patent ID: 8741138

Claim:
A fuel filter assembly, comprising: a housing including a filter head with an inlet port and outlet port for directing fuel into and out of the housing, and a bowl threadably connected to a lower end of the head, the bowl including a series of ribs projecting radially inward from an internal sidewall of the bowl; a filter element located within the housing, the filter element including: i) a ring of filter media circumscribing a central axis and defining a central cavity interiorly of the ring; ii) a first end cap sealingly bonded at a lower end of the media ring; and iii) a second, annular end cap sealingly bonded at an upper end of the media ring and including a resilient sealing member bounding a central opening in the second end cap, the central opening allowing fluid communication with the central cavity of the element; the first end cap including a) an imperforate circular end wall with an inner surface facing the media ring, and an outer surface facing away from the media ring, b) an annular side wall toward or at the periphery of the end wall projecting downwardly from the outer surface of the end wall, the side wall supporting the element against an upper surface of the ribs on the bowl and including a series of openings therearound, and c) a series of axial posts projecting downwardly from the distal end of the side wall, the posts being spaced around the side wall such that they are rotationally contacted by the bowl ribs when the bowl is rotated with respect to the head to cause the element to rotate in conjunction with the bowl when the bowl is rotated relative to the head to remove the bowl from the head, wherein when the bowl and element are assembled with the head, fuel entering through the inlet port flows between the internal sidewall of the bowl and the element and then radially inward through the media ring, and contaminants in the fuel are separated by the media and can collect and pass downwardly between the bowl and the lower end cap into a lower portion of the bowl for removal, with the fuel passing through the media ring being directed out through the outlet port.