Patent ID: 7282140

Claim:
An automatic transmission sump filter assembly in fluid communication with the suction inlet of an automatic transmission fluid pump comprising: (a) a filter housing having a base portion with a bottom portion and a filter chamber, an inlet through the bottom portion in fluid communication with the sump and in fluid communication with the filter chamber, and an outlet member portion having a longitudinal axis and angularly extending from the base portion and defining an outlet at an end thereof in fluid communication with the filter chamber and the tubular inlet of the automatic transmission fluid pump, wherein the outlet member portion includes one or more stiffeners extending linearly and parallel with said axis along the exterior of the outlet member portion from proximate said base and terminating before the outlet member to form one or more stiffener ends; p 1 (b) at least one outlet sealing member disposed on the outlet member portion and engaged against the end of one or more stiffeners of the outlet member, wherein the outlet sealing member is in sealing engagement with the outlet member and the automatic transmission fluid pump inlet, and wherein the outlet sealing member abuts one or more stiffener ends; (c) filtration material forming an envelope; (d) a ribbed plastic filter element, removably disposed in the filter chamber, having at least one edge of the filtration material envelope embedded therein, at least one rib supporting the filtration material, and at least one shoulder adapted to receive at least one sealing member; and (e) at least one sealing member disposed in the filter element shoulder, wherein the sealing member is in a first sealing engagement with the filter housing and the filter element, whereby the filter chamber is divided by the filtration material, filter element, and sealing member into a clean transmission oil chamber that communicates with the suction inlet of the transmission fluid pump and a dirty transmission oil chamber that directly communicates with the sump via the inlet in the bottom of the base portion.