Patent ID: 6875343

Claim:
A fluid filter having two opposed ends comprising: a housing having; an inlet end having an inlet for passage of fluid into said filter; and an outlet end having an outlet for passage of fluid leaving said filter; a filter media assembly disposed between said inlet and said outlet, for filtering said fluid, the filter media assembly being substantially coaxial with the inlet and outlet and said filter media assembly abutting said outlet end; a valve body located proximate said inlet end comprising: a first retainer which houses a first spring, the first retainer engaging the first spring at one end of the first spring and a first disk disposed at another end of said first spring; and a second retainer located in the same inlet end as the first retainer and coaxial with said first retainer, disposed opposite to said first retainer, said second retainer having a second spring, the second retainer engaging the second spring at one end of the second spring, and a second disk disposed at another end of said second spring; and a stabilizing spring coaxial with said body and each located at said inlet end between and in contact with said first retainer and said inlet end, said spring urging said filter media assembly against said outlet to stabilize said filter media assembly and said valve body; wherein said second disk is operative to compress said second spring in a first direction toward said second retainer; wherein said first disk is operative to compress said first spring in a second direction toward said first retainer, said first direction being opposite to said second direction; wherein the fluid filter will function if installed so that the inlet functions as an outlet and the outlet serves as an inlet, wherein said inlet end said outlet end and said filter media assembly are substantially coaxial.