Patent ID: 8062404

Claim:
A filter insert insertable seal-tightly into a filter housing, the filter insert comprising: a filter element having an inlet face at an unfiltered side and an outlet face at a filtered side of said filter element, said filter element including a zig-zag folded filter media, said zig-zag folds forming a series of pleats, said pleats arranged in a spaced fashion spaced between opposing first and second side end faces of said filter element, adjacent ones of said pleats connected together by folds in said filter media positioned between said adjacent pleats, said folds each having a fold tip positioned at said inlet or said outlet face, said fold tips extending across said filter element to abut opposing third and fourth side end faces of said filter element, wherein each pleat has an inwardly facing surface defined as the pleat surface facing away from nearest one of said first or second side end faces; a reinforcing clamp including a first clamp portion having a face fully contacting and adhesively secured to said inwardly facing surface of a first one of said pleats between fold tips arranged on opposing edges of said first pleat, said first clamp portion arranged on and extending parallel to said inwardly facing pleat surface of said first pleat, said first clamp portion extending on said inwardly facing pleat surface outwardly in a first direction to abut one of said fold tips of said first pleat; a second clamp portion having opposing ends, one end of said second clamp portion secured to an end of said first clamp portion, said second clamp portion extending from said first clamp portion in a second direction parallel to and along said inlet face or said outlet face to abut said first side end face or said second side end face of said filter element, said second clamp portion also extending in a third direction aligned with a length of said fold tip of said first pleat to cover said fold tip of said first pleat between said third and fourth side end faces of said filter element; and an outer sealing element extending between said third and fourth side end faces of said filter element, said outer sealing element connected to the other end of said second clamp portion by a springy film hinge, wherein said outer sealing element is moveable by said film hinge relative to said second clamp portion; wherein said first clamp portion is connected to only one pleat of said pleated filter media, wherein said reinforcing clamp is not secured to an outward facing surface of the terminal pleat at said end faces; wherein the reinforcement clamp with the sealing element together form a single integral component.