Patent ID: 8167140

Claim:
A filter apparatus capable of releasing air from a filter body, comprising: a holder having a front panel and a rear panel, disposed opposite the front panel, said front and rear panels connected to each other by a connecting portion, wherein the front panel includes a center cutout; and a filter body having an axis of rotation and a circumference, the filter body comprising a fluid inlet located at the axis of rotation, said fluid inlet rotatably held in the center cutout of the front panel of the holder, and a fluid outlet located in the vicinity of the circumference of the filter body, wherein the filter body is disposed between the front panel and the rear panel of the holder so as to be able to rotate around its axis of rotation between an air releasing position and a filtering position, and wherein the front panel of the holder further comprises: a first engaging portion for engaging the fluid outlet at the air releasing position and a second engaging portion for engaging the fluid outlet at the filtering position; and a fixing mechanism that secures the filter body at either the first engaging position or the second engaging position.