Patent ID: 7648545

Claim:
An axial flow filter element having an inflow face at one axial end thereof, said filter element comprising: at least one flat layer and at least one folded layer, the at least one flat layer being alternately arranged with the at least one folded layer in such a way that channels having an open cross-section are produced; each channel of a first group of channels being tightly sealed at one end, and a second group comprising each of the remaining channels not included in said first group, being tightly sealed at the other end in such a way that a fluid to be filtered must pass through one of said layers to filter the fluid when flowing through the filter element from an inflow side, formed by one axial end face of the filter element, to an discharge side, formed by the other axial end face of the filter element; a seal for sealing the inflow side from the discharge side of the filter element in a housing part; both the at least one flat layer and also the at least one folded layer comprising filter media through which a fluid can flow; a channel of the second group adjoining each side forming the open cross-section of those channels of the first group which are spaced from the edge of the filter element, so that fluid can flow through the entire area of the channels of the first group except for the folded edges of the channels, wherein: the seal for sealing the inflow side from the discharge side of the filter element in the housing comprises a peripheral seal in the form of an annular collar arranged at an axial end face of the filter element and connected via an axial section to an outer jacket surface of the filter element, with a part of the annular collar projecting axially beyond the adjacent axial end face of the filter element, and a frame element connected to the axially projecting part of the annular collar in such a way that the frame element supports the annular collar against radial forces exerted on the collar, the frame element being formed as radial spokes of a wheel lacking a continuous outer ring; said filter element having an outer peripheral shape, and said frame element having an outer peripheral shape which is the same as the outer peripheral shape of the filter element; said annular collar being connected only to the outer jacket surface of the filter element, whereby said annular collar does not block any of the axially extending channels of the filter element; and said annular collar having a radially outer surface which has a substantially linear configuration in the axial direction of the filter element, wherein the peripheral seal comprises an elastomer body glued to the jacket surface of the filter element, and the frame element is adhesively bonded to the interior of the axially projecting part of the seal.