Clean-side water-separating filter element having bayonet connection, and fuel filter having a filter element of this type

A fuel filter comprising:

• a filter housing comprising
• a filter housing body and
• a cover that is screwable onto the filter housing body;
• wherein the filter housing comprises
• a bayonet receptacle arranged on an inner side of the filter housing;
• a filter element having a longitudinal axis and disposed in the filter housing and comprising
• a particle filter medium arranged between a first end plate and a second end plate,
• wherein the second end plate forms an annular axially projecting wall on an axially outer side of the second end plate, the annular axially projecting wall positioned proximate to a radially outermost circumferential surface of the second end plate, the annular axially projecting wall projecting axially outwardly away from the particle filter medium;
• wherein the second end plate further comprises an internal sealing element groove formed into a radially outer surface of the annular axially projecting wall;
• wherein an internal sealing element is arranged in the internal sealing element groove;
• a coalescing medium arranged on a radially inner face of the particle filter medium and downstream of the particle filter medium;
• wherein a bayonet protrusion is arranged on a radially outer circumference of the first end plate, the bayonet protrusion formed as a “U”-shaped projection on the radially outer circumference of the first end plate, the “U”-shaped projection projecting axially outwardly away from an outer side of the first end plate, the “U”-shaped projection opening radially inwardly to receive and engage the bayonet receptacle of the filter housing into an interior of the “U”-shaped projection;
• wherein, by rotating the filter element about a filter element longitudinal axis of the filter element, the bayonet protrusion is configured to engage the bayonet receptacle of the filter housing when the cover is unscrewed from the filter housing body;
• wherein by unscrewing the cover from the filter housing, interaction of the internal sealing element against an interior wall of the cover, urges the filter element to rotate with the cover, engaging the bayonet protrusion with the bayonet receptacle, mounting the filter element to the filter housing, so that unpurified fuel from a raw side of the filter element can drain into the cover, and thus the unpurified fuel can be collected in the cover prior to filter element exchange;
• wherein by screwing the cover onto the filter housing, interaction of the internal sealing element against the interior wall of the cover urges the filter element to rotate with the cover, disengaging the bayonet protrusion from the bayonet receptacle, so that the filter element is vibration decoupled from the filter housing;
• wherein the internal sealing element separates the raw side of the fuel filter from a water collecting chamber of the fuel filter.