Patent ID: 7070641

Claim:
A carbon media filter element with urethane frame and seal comprising carbon filter media comprising a granular carbon layer, including carbon granules, sandwiched between first and second backing layers and forming a sheet having a perimeter with first and second axial ends distally oppositely axially spaced along an axis along an axial direction, and first and second lateral ends distally oppositely laterally spaced relative to said axis along a lateral direction and extending axially between said first and second axial ends, said sheet being pleated alone axially extending bend lines to provide a plurality of pleats extending axially between said first and second axial ends, a border member composed of urethane and comprising a combined structural frame and seal extending along said perimeter and providing both a support frame for said media and a seal along said ends of said sheet retaining said carbon granules between said first and second backing layers and preventing escape of said carbon granules out of said ends, wherein said pleats have a pleat height extending between said bend lines along a height direction normal to said axial direction and normal to said lateral direction, and wherein said border member has a height extending along said height direction and at least as great as the height of said pleats and covering and encapsulating said first and second axial ends including said carbon layer and said first and second backing layers, said border member has a first section extending along said height direction and providing said support frame and said seal, and has a second section extending laterally outwardly from said first section in L-shape cross-section along all four of said ends, namely said first and second axial ends and said first and second lateral ends, said second section being resiliently compressible along said height direction for gasket sealing, both of said first and second sections being composed of urethane, said L-shape having a first leg providing said first section and a second leg providing said second section.