Patent ID: 8020709

Claim:
A filter element, comprising: a filter pot delineating a circular cylindrical interior with an inside wall and having a bottom part with a fluid port and a cover part opposite the bottom part; a filter medium adjoining said inside wall of said filter pot and being a circular cylindrical body with a central region forming a free interior; fluid passages in said inside wall of said filter pot encompassing said filter medium; a ring body connecting said cover part and said inside wall of said filter pot, said ring part having a jacket part extending axially along an end section of said inside wall and having an end part overlapping an end edge of said inside wall and an edge of said cover part and extending radially inwardly; interacting first and second catches on said end part of said ring body and on said cover part, respectively, forming snap connection between said end part and said cover part, said first catch being a radially projecting rib, said second catch being an annular groove; and a stepped periphery on said cover part having first, second and third steps proceeding in order from an outer end of said cover part, said first step having an outside diameter corresponding to an outside diameter of said jacket part, said second step being radially inside said first step, said third step being offset radially inwardly of said second step, said annular groove being machined into said third step, said second step having radial and axial dimensions such that, with said ring body connected to said cover part and said inside wall, said end part of said ring body with said second step form an annular groove providing a seal for an O-ring to seal said cover part relative to a filter housing holding said filter pot.