Patent ID: 8496119

Claim:
A fluid filter, comprising: a housing having a first end portion defining fluid inlet and fluid outlet areas; filter media disposed in the housing, having inlet surfaces communicating with the fluid inlet and outlet surfaces communicating with the fluid outlet; a relief valve assembly for selectively opening a filter bypass connecting the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; a media plug of the relief valve assembly for anchoring in the filter media, the media plug having a bypass aperture connecting to the fluid outlet; and a valve element connected to the media plug, having a valving portion cooperating with the bypass aperture in the media plug for resiliently closing the bypass aperture when an inlet fluid pressure is below a threshold pressure, and for opening the bypass aperture when the inlet fluid pressure is above the threshold pressure, wherein the valving portion comprises a support for resiliently urging the valving surface against the media plug to close the bypass aperture, the support being deformable to open the bypass aperture when the inlet fluid pressure is above the threshold pressure, and wherein the valving surface comprises protrusions extending from the annular shell into corresponding bypass apertures.