Enhanced fuel water separation using structural embossing

A pleated filter element comprising:

• pleated filter media having a first side forming an upstream surface and a second side forming a downstream surface, the pleated filter media including a plurality of pleat flanks and a plurality of folds, adjacent pleat flanks connected by a corresponding one of the plurality of folds;
• and
• a plurality of structural embossments formed in at least one of the first and second sides of the pleat flanks, each structural embossment having a first end and a second end, the first and second end defining an embossment axis of the structural embossment, the embossment axis extending at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular orientation relative to the folds connected to the corresponding pleat flank;
• wherein:
• a first structural embossment of the plurality of structural embossments and a second structural embossment of the plurality of structural embossments are formed in a first pleat flank of the plurality pleat flanks;
• a third structural embossment of the plurality of structural embossments is formed in a second pleat flank of the plurality of pleat flanks, a first fold of the plurality of folds being formed between the first and second pleat flanks, the first end of the third structural embossment being positioned axially between the first ends of the first and second structural embossments along the first fold and the first end of the second structural embossment being positioned axially between the first and second ends of the third structural embossment, the first, second, and third structural embossments forming a shingled orientation;
• the first and second structural embossments form a projection on the first side of the pleated filter media and a depression on the second side of the pleated filter media;
• the third structural embossment forms a projection on the second side of the second pleat flank and a depression on the first side of the second pleat flank.

A pleated filter element comprising:

• pleated filter media having a first side forming an upstream surface and a second side forming a downstream surface, the pleated filter media including a plurality of pleat flanks and a plurality of folds, adjacent pleat flanks connected by a corresponding one of the plurality of folds;
• and
• a plurality of structural embossments formed in at least one of the first and second sides of the pleat flanks, each structural embossment having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends defining an embossment axis of the structural embossment, the embossment axis extending at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular orientation relative to the folds connected to the corresponding pleat flank;
• wherein:
• a first structural embossment of the plurality of structural embossments and a second structural embossment of the plurality of structural embossments are formed in a first pleat flank of the plurality pleat flanks;
• the embossment axis of the first structural embossment extending at a first angle relative to the pleat folds;
• the embossment axis of the second structural embossment extending at a second angle relative to the pleat folds;
• wherein the first angle and the second angle extend at different angles relative to a same pleat fold, wherein the first and second angles are both less than ninety (90) degrees relative to the same pleat fold when measured in a same angular direction relative to the same pleat fold.