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US 12,515,148 B2Granted
3D printed filter center tube
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsJon Tyler Immel, Javier A. Rodriguez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A filter has a filter center tube that includes a plurality of layers of solidified material including a first layer with a first undulating strip of solidified material extending in a first predetermined direction, and a second layer with a second undulating strip of solidified material extending in a second predetermined direction. The first layer is in contact with the second layer and the first predetermined direction is not parallel with the second predetermined direction, forming a plurality of pores therebetween.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a filter component, the method comprising:
- forming a substantially cylindrical filter tube by successively depositing layers of material, via a three-dimensional printing process, according to a three-dimensional model of the filter tube, the filter tube being formed such that:
- a first layer of the deposited layers comprises a first undulating strip of solidified material extending in a first direction,
- a second layer of the deposited layers comprises a second undulating strip of solidified material, in contact with the first layer, and extending in a second direction different than the first direction, and
- the first and second layers form:
- a plurality of pores therebetween,
- an outer annular region of the filter tube, and
- an inner annular region of the filter tube, the outer and inner annular regions being substantially concentrically disposed about a longitudinal axis of the filter tube, wherein pores of the plurality of pores include a respective pore dimension, and the pore dimension of pores sequentially arranged along the second direction decreases in size, the second direction extending orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.
4 more elements
A filter tube, comprising:
- layers of material, successively deposited via a three-dimensional printing process, according to a three-dimensional model of the filter tube, wherein:
- a first layer of the deposited layers comprises a first undulating strip of solidified material extending in a first direction,
- a second layer of the deposited layers comprises a second undulating strip of solidified material, in contact with the first layer, and extending in a second direction different than the first direction, and
- the first and second layers form:
- a plurality of pores therebetween,
- an outer annular region of the filter tube, and
- an inner annular region of the filter tube, the outer and inner annular regions being substantially concentrically disposed about a longitudinal axis of the filter tube, wherein pores of the plurality of pores include a respective pore dimension, and the pore dimension of pores sequentially arranged along the second direction decreases in size, the second direction extending orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.
4 more elements
A filter tube, comprising:
- layers of plastic, successively deposited via a three-dimensional printing process, according to a three-dimensional model of the filter tube, wherein:
- a first layer of the deposited layers comprises a first undulating strip of solidified plastic extending in a first direction,
- a second layer of the deposited layers comprises a second undulating strip of plastic, in contact with the first layer, and extending in a second direction different than the first direction, and
- the first and second layers form:
- a plurality of pores therebetween,
- an outer annular region of the filter tube, and
- an inner annular region of the filter tube, the outer and inner annular regions being substantially concentrically disposed about a longitudinal axis of the filter tube, wherein pores of the plurality of pores include a respective pore dimension, and the pore dimension of pores sequentially arranged along the second direction decreases in size, the second direction extending orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the filter tube.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.