# US 10,369,498 B2 · Oil deterioration suppressing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,498 B2 - Document ID: US10369498B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/865,509 - Filed: 2013-04-18 - Published: 2013-11-07 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-07 - Assignees: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hideto Morishita; Yasuhiro Saito; Ippei Fukutomi; Motoichi Murakami; Katsuichi Miyasaka; Yasuhiro Ohmiya; Hiroshi Moritani; Mamoru Tohyama; Narihito Tatsuda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369498B2 ## CPC - B01D 24/02: with the filter bed stationary during the filtration - C10M 175/0058: {by filtration and centrifugation processes; apparatus therefor} - C10M 175/0091: {Treatment of oils in a continuous lubricating circuit (e.g. motor oil system)} - B01D 29/216: {with wound sheets} - B01D 29/54: arranged concentrically or coaxially - B01D 37/025: {additives incorporated in the filter} - C10M 2201/062: Oxides; Hydroxides; Carbonates or bicarbonates - C10M 2201/103: Clays; Mica; Zeolites - C10M 2201/105: Silica - C10N 2010/04: Groups 2 or 12 - C10N 2010/06: Groups 3 or 13 - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - C10M: LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS (well drilling compositions C09K8/02); USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES EITHER ALONE OR AS LUBRICATING INGREDIENTS IN A LUBRICATING COMPOSITION (mould release, i.e. separating, agents for metals B22C3/00, for plastics or substances in a plastic state, in general B29C33/56, for glass C03B40/02; textile lubricating compositions D06M11/00, D06M13/00, D06M15/00; immersion oils for microscopy G02B21/33) - C10N: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS C10M RELATING TO LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS ## Abstract An oil deterioration suppressing apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include a filtering portion including a filter element for filtering oil, and a deterioration suppressing portion including a powdery deterioration retarder which suppresses deterioration of oil. The deterioration suppressing portion may include a flow passage wall which holds the powdery deterioration retarder and defines an oil flow passage, and the powdery deterioration retarder includes mesoporous inorganic material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An oil deterioration suppressing apparatus, comprising: a filtering portion including a filter element for filtering oil; a deterioration suppressing portion including a powdery deterioration retarder, which suppresses deterioration of the oil; and a housing having an interior space in which both the deterioration suppressing portion and the filtering portion are accommodated along an axial direction thereof, wherein an upper end edge of the filtering portion is spaced from a lower end edge of the deterioration suppressing portion in an axial direction of the oil deterioration suppressing apparatus, the deterioration suppressing portion includes flow passage walls which hold the powdery deterioration retarder and define oil flow passages such that the oil passes through gaps between adjacent flow passage walls of the flow passage walls, the flow passage walls are arranged in the deterioration suppressing portion in one of a spiral or concentric manner, the flow passage walls are porous layers made by nonwoven fabric and have a void ratio between 0.8 and 0.99 such that the powdery deterioration retarder is dispersed and maintained in the flow passage walls, the powdery deterioration retarder includes a mesoporous inorganic material, an average pore diameter of the mesoporous inorganic material is 1 to 30 nm, a pore capacity of the mesoporous inorganic material is 0.3 to 4.0 cm3/g, and a specific surface of the mesoporous inorganic material is 120 to 2000 m2/g, the mesoporous inorganic material is one of an indefinite mesoporous silica-based inorganic material, an activated white clay, a silica gel or an activated alumina, and when the oil flows through the oil deterioration suppressing apparatus, the oil sequentially flows along the axial direction of the oil deterioration suppressing apparatus through the deterioration suppressing portion to the filtering portion, wherein the housing includes a protector that includes a first support portion and a second support portion continuous in the axial direction with one end of the first support portion, wherein the first support portion supports the filtering portion, and the second support portion supports the deterioration suppressing portion, and wherein the protector is a unitary structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mesoporous inorganic material includes pores and 60% or more of an entire pore capacity has an average pore diameter falling within a range of ±40% of the average pore diameter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow passage walls include a corrugated portion which is formed into a corrugated shape. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed into a cylindrical shape, wherein a cross-sectional area of a space between an inner wall of the housing and an outer peripheral side of the deterioration suppressing portion is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a space between the inner wall of the housing and an outer peripheral side of the filtering portion, and wherein the housing is provided with an oil inflow opening which is formed so as to open near one axial end of the deterioration suppressing portion on a side of the housing separated from the filtering portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing additionally includes a first case and a second case detachably fixed to each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the protector is biased toward the first case by a biasing member provided between a first axial end of the protector and a bottom of the second case, and a second axial end of the protector is fitted to a convex portion projecting from a bottom of the first case. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the flow passage walls are wound around an outer periphery of the second support portion, and a plurality of through holes are defined in the first support portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of through holes are defined in the first support portion. ### Claim 9 An oil deterioration suppressing apparatus, comprising: a filtering portion including a filter element for filtering oil; a deterioration suppressing portion including a powdery deterioration retarder, which suppresses deterioration of the oil; and a housing having an interior space in which both the deterioration suppressing portion and the filtering portion are accommodated along an axial direction thereof, wherein the deterioration suppressing portion includes flow passage walls which hold the powdery deterioration retarder and define oil flow passages such that the oil passes through gaps between adjacent flow passage walls of the flow passage walls, the flow passage walls are arranged in the deterioration suppressing portion in one of a spiral or concentric manner, the flow passage walls are disposed above the filtering portion so as to cover an outer periphery of the filtering portion, the flow passage walls are porous layers made by nonwoven fabric and have a void ratio between 0.8 and 0.99 such that the powdery deterioration retarder is dispersed and maintained in the flow passage walls, the powdery deterioration retarder includes a mesoporous inorganic material, an average pore diameter of the mesoporous inorganic material is 1 to 30 nm, a pore capacity of the mesoporous inorganic material is 0.3 to 4.0 cm3/g, and a specific surface of the mesoporous inorganic material is 120 to 2000 m2/g, the mesoporous inorganic material is one of an indefinite mesoporous silica-based inorganic material, an activated white clay, a silica gel or an activated alumina, and when the oil flows through the oil deterioration suppressing apparatus, the oil sequentially flows along the axial direction of the oil deterioration suppressing apparatus through the deterioration suppressing portion to the filtering portion, wherein the housing includes a protector that includes a first support portion and a second support portion continuous in the axial direction with one end of the first support portion, wherein the first support portion supports the filtering portion, and the second support portion supports the deterioration suppressing portion, and wherein the protector is a unitary structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the mesoporous inorganic material includes pores and 60% or more of an entire pore capacity has an average pore diameter falling within a range of ±40% of the average pore diameter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the flow passage walls include a corrugated portion which is formed into a corrugated shape. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the housing is formed into a cylindrical shape, wherein a cross-sectional area of a space between an inner wall of the housing and an outer peripheral side of the deterioration suppressing portion is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a space between the inner wall of the housing and an outer peripheral side of the filtering portion, and wherein the housing is provided with an oil inflow opening which is formed so as to be opposed to an axial end surface of at least one of the filtering portion and the deterioration suppressing portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the housing additionally includes a first case and a second case detachably fixed to each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the protector is biased toward the first case by a biasing member provided between a first axial end of the protector and a bottom of the second case, and a second axial end of the protector is fitted to a convex portion projecting from a bottom of the first case. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the flow passage walls are wound around an outer periphery of the second support portion, and a plurality of through holes are defined in the first support portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of through holes are defined in the first support portion. ### Claim 17 An oil deterioration suppressing apparatus, comprising: a filtering portion including a filter element for filtering oil; a deterioration suppressing portion including a powdery deterioration retarder, which suppresses deterioration of the oil; and a housing having an interior space in which both the deterioration suppressing portion and the filtering portion are accommodated along an axial direction thereof, wherein an upper end edge of the filtering portion is spaced from a lower end edge of the deterioration suppressing portion in an axial direction of the oil deterioration suppressing apparatus, the deterioration suppressing portion includes flow passage walls which hold the powdery deterioration retarder and define oil flow passages such that the oil passes through gaps between adjacent flow passage walls of the flow passage walls, the flow passage walls are arranged in the deterioration suppressing portion in one of a spiral or concentric manner, the flow passage walls are porous layers made by nonwoven fabric and have a void ratio between 0.8 and 0.99 such that the powdery deterioration retarder is dispersed and maintained in the flow passage walls, the powdery deterioration retarder includes a mesoporous inorganic material, an average pore diameter of the mesoporous inorganic material is 1 to 30 nm, a pore capacity of the mesoporous inorganic material is 0.3 to 4.0 cm3/g, and a specific surface of the mesoporous inorganic material is 120 to 2000 m2/g, the mesoporous inorganic material is one of an indefinite mesoporous silica-based inorganic material, an activated white clay, a silica gel or an activated alumina, and when the oil flows through the oil deterioration suppressing apparatus, the oil sequentially flows along the axial direction of the oil deterioration suppressing apparatus through the deterioration suppressing portion to the filtering portion, wherein the housing includes a protector that includes a first support portion and a second support portion continuous in the axial direction with one end of the first support portion, wherein the first support portion supports the filtering portion, and the second support portion supports a second filtering portion, and wherein the protector is a unitary structure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the housing additionally includes a first case and a second case detachably fixed to each other. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the protector is biased toward the first case by a biasing member provided between a first axial end of the protector and a bottom of the second case, and a second axial end of the protector is fitted to a convex portion projecting from a bottom of the first case. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the flow passage walls are disposed so as to cover an outer periphery of the filtering portion. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of through holes are defined in the first support portion and the second support portion. ### Claim 22 An oil deterioration suppressing apparatus, comprising: a filtering portion including a filter element for filtering oil; a deterioration suppressing portion including a powdery deterioration retarder, which suppresses deterioration of the oil; and a housing having an interior space in which both the deterioration suppressing portion and the filtering portion are accommodated along an axial direction thereof, wherein the deterioration suppressing portion includes flow passage walls which hold the powdery deterioration retarder and define oil flow passages such that the oil passes through gaps between adjacent flow passage walls of the flow passage walls, the flow passage walls are arranged in the deterioration suppressing portion in one of a spiral or concentric manner, the flow passage walls are disposed above the filtering portion so as to cover an outer periphery of the filtering portion, the flow passage walls are porous layers made by nonwoven fabric and have a void ratio between 0.8 and 0.99 such that the powdery deterioration retarder is dispersed and maintained in the flow passage walls, the powdery deterioration retarder includes a mesoporous inorganic material, an average pore diameter of the mesoporous inorganic material is 1 to 30 nm, a pore capacity of the mesoporous inorganic material is 0.3 to 4.0 cm3/g, and a specific surface of the mesoporous inorganic material is 120 to 2000 m2/g, the mesoporous inorganic material is one of an indefinite mesoporous silica-based inorganic material, an activated white clay, a silica gel or an activated alumina, and when the oil flows through the oil deterioration suppressing apparatus, the oil sequentially flows along the axial direction of the oil deterioration suppressing apparatus through the deterioration suppressing portion to the filtering portion, wherein the housing includes a protector that includes a first support portion and a second support portion continuous in the axial direction with one end of the first support portion, wherein the first support portion supports the filtering portion, and the second support portion supports a second filtering portion, and wherein the protector is a unitary structure. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the housing additionally includes a first case and a second case detachably fixed to each other. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the protector is biased toward the first case by a biasing member provided between a first axial end of the protector and a bottom of the second case, and a second axial end of the protector is fitted to a convex portion projecting from a bottom of the first case. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The oil deterioration suppressing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a plurality of through holes are defined in the first support portion and the second support portion.