Patent ID: 8083074

Claim:
A filter assembly comprising: a housing having a side wall, a base portion, an open end, an interior space, and a plurality of ribs formed on an inner surface of the housing within the interior space; a nutplate configured to engage the side wall for closing the open end of the housing, the nutplate including a first fluid passage through which filtered fluid from the interior space exits the filter assembly, and a second fluid passage through which fluid to be filtered enters the interior space; a filter cartridge disposed within the interior space, the filter cartridge including a first end facing the base portion of the housing and a second end facing the open end and the nutplate, the second end is connected to the nutplate and there is a seal between the second end and the nutplate that prevents leakage of fluid between the second end and the nutplate; at least some of the ribs include steps positioned adjacent to the first end of the filter cartridge that are spaced from the first end of the filter cartridge so that there is a gap between the steps and the first end of the filter cartridge, the steps are sized for engagement with the first end to limit movement of the filter cartridge away from the nutplate.