Patent ID: 7462215

Claim:
A automotive air conditioning refrigerant filter for sandwiching between male and female sections of a tubing coupler, said filter comprising: a first substantially planar shell having an inside face formed with a first well; a second substantially planar shell having an inside face formed with a second well; said first shell and said second shell being configured to be joined together inside-face-to-inside-face with said first and second wells defining an internal cavity with a substantially uniform width throughout its extent; a sheet of filter media disposed in and spanning said internal cavity and having a central region; a fluid inlet on one of said shells communicating with said internal cavity on one side of said sheet of filter media, said fluid inlet being displaced from said central region of said sheet of filter media; a fluid outlet on the other one of said shells communicating with said internal cavity on the other side of said sheet of filter media, said fluid outlet being displaced from said central region of said sheet of filter media and being substantially aligned with said fluid inlet; and a mounting lobe on a peripheral portion of said first and second shells for mounting said filter between the male and female sections of the tubing coupler fluid entering said internal cavity through said fluid inlet being constrained to pass through said sheet of filter media for filtering prior to exiting through said fluid outlet.