Particle discharge device, filter assembly, and method

A filter assembly with a particle discharge device comprising:

• a filter housing comprising a centrifugal separator and a particle discharge socket;
• the particle discharge device comprising:
• a tubular housing having one or more particle discharge flaps, all formed as a single one-piece molded plastic component of a plastic elastically deformable elastomer material;
• the tubular housing comprising
• a valve seat;
• a tubular base section of the tubular housing, projecting axially outwardly away from the one or more particle discharge flaps and having an open end configured to receive the particle discharge socket of the filter assembly;
• wherein the valve seat surrounds at least partially a symmetry axis of the tubular housing;
• wherein the one or more particle discharge flaps elastically bend or curve in an arc shape to move between the closed state and the open state;
• wherein the open state is an initial state of the one or more particle discharge flaps, such that the one or more particle discharge flaps remain in the open state until the filter assembly introduces a vacuum into the particle discharge device, the vacuum applying a first biasing force acting directly onto the one or more particle discharge flaps, urging the one or more particle discharge flaps to bend or curve into the closed state, closing against the valve seat;
• wherein the elastically deformable elastomer material is a reversible deformability, such that the one or more particle discharge flaps return to the open state when the first biasing force is removed,
• wherein the plastic elastically deformable elastomer material is selected from the set consisting of:
• ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).