Patent ID: 6843377

Claim:
A spacer element for use with a filter having a cylindrical canister in which is disposed a filter element having an annular filter media for filtering a fluid, wherein the canister is closed by an end plate arrangement, the spacer element comprising: a disk having a central opening therethrough for receiving a stand pipe of a filter mounting base; an imperforate, annular, peripheral flange axially extending from a first side of the disk and having an array of radially projecting fins formed on an outer surface of the flange and which said fins are axially canted thereon and configured to impart a spiral motion to the fluid prior to the fluid being filtered, and a plurality of legs defining axially extending spaces therebetween, the legs extending axially from a second side of the disk and engaging the end plate arrangement in order to keep the filter element in spaced relation thereto, whereby the fluid flows through the spaces between the legs, over the fins, through the filter element and out of the stand pipe received in the opening through the disk.