Air cleaner with replaceable filter element

An improved filter element assembly for use in an air cleaning device having a filter body, wherein said filter element assembly comprises:

• (a) an elongated and perforated liner having a locking rib at one end thereof and an annular cup at the other end thereof;
• (b) a filter element releasably coupled to and surrounding said perforated liner in a concentric manner, said filter element having an interior bore and comprising a filter medium having opposed first and second ends, said first end of said filter medium being received in said end cup on said perforated liner and said second end of said filter medium having an end cap attached thereto, said end cap having an annular locking groove which receives said locking rib when said perforated liner is inserted into the bore of said filter element;
• (c) a safety sleeve assembly which comprises a porous safety filter having a gasket attached to one end, said safety filter being positioned between said filter element and said perforated liner with said gasket being received between said first end of said filter medium and said end cup to seal said first end therein;
• (d) wherein said locking rib is configured relative to said annular locking groove to form a snap fit, whereby said filter element, said perforated liner, and said safety sleeve assembly may be releasably interlocked into a completed filter element assembly, and
• (e) an outer porous liner which surrounds and engages said filter medium, said filter medium having a plurality of longitudinal pleats, said outer liner being resilient and shaped to apply radially inward pressure on said pleated filter medium to hold said pleats thereof against said liner in an evenly spaced manner.

A replacement kit for an improved filter element assembly, said replacement kit having component parts capable of being assembled in the field for association with a conically shaped perforated liner for providing a reconditioned filter element assembly, said assembly being received in a filter body of an air cleaning device, said replacement kit comprising the combination of:

• (a) a filter element, said filter element having a pleated filter medium which is integrally attached at one end to an end cap, said end cap having means for releasably locking said filter element to one end of said liner, said filter medium and said end cap having an interior bore which receives said liner therein;
• (b) a safety sleeve assembly which comprises a porous safety filter having a gasket at one end, said safety filter being suitable for being positioned between said filter element and said liner when said filter element is releasably coupled to said liner, said gasket being received between one end of said pleated filter medium and one end of said liner to seal said one end of said filter medium relative to said one end of said liner;
• and
• (c) a resilient and porous outer liner which is to be received around said pleated filter medium, said outer liner being configured to apply inward pressure on said pleats of said filter medium to force said pleats into contact with said liner.

An improved filter element assembly for use in an air cleaning device, which comprises:

• (a) a perforated inner liner having a locking rib at one end thereof;
• (b) a filter element which comprises:
• (i) an elongated hollow filter medium located around said inner liner and comprising a plurality of pleats which extend longitudinally along an axis of said filter medium, said pleats enabling said filter medium to be expanded and contracted between a first and second configuration, said filter medium further being made of a material which is substantially porous to air and non-porous to predetermined particulate matter suspended in the air;
• and
• (ii) an end cap fixedly attached to one end of said flter medium, said end cap having an interior bore provided with a locking groove for receiving said locking rib on said liner to couple said filter element to said liner, said filter element having said pleats thereof expanded into said second configuration to substantially simulate an exterior configuration of said liner;
• (c) a porous and resilient outer liner which encircles and engages the filter element to apply a radially inward force on said pleats;
• and
• (d) a porous safety sleeve assembly positioned between said filter element and said inner liner.

An air cleaning device for removing predetermined particulate matter suspended from air, which comprises:

• (a) a filter body having an air intake and an air outlet, said filter body having an open end for providing access to an interior filter chamber;
• (b) a detachable cover for closing said open end in said filter body, said cover being removable from said filter body to give access to said filter chamber;
• (c) a filter element assembly contained in said filter chamber wherein air passes through said air intake, through said filter element assembly and out through said air outlet with the particulate matter in said air being filtered by said filter element assembly, said filter element assembly comprising:
• (i) an elongated perforated liner assembly, said liner assembly being made from a material which is sufficiently durable to enable said liner assembly to be reused during successive air cleaning operations over the life of the air cleaning device;
• (ii) a disposable and elongated filter element which includes a filter medium having a plurality of pleats, said filter medium being made from a material which is substantially porous to air and substantialy nonporous to predetermined particulate matter suspended in the air, whereby said filter medium removed the particulate matter from the air;
• (iii) a porous safety sleeve assembly positioned between said liner assembly and said filter element;
• (iv) locking means for releasably coupling said filter element to said liner assembly with said filter medium surrounding said liner assembly in a face-to-face relationship, whereby said filter element may be detached from said liner assembly when said filter medium becomes plugged with the particulate matter to allow said liner assembly to be reused;
• and
• (v) an elongated porous outer liner surrounding and engaging said filter medium, wherein said outer liner is resilient and is shaped to apply a radially inward force to said filter medium to press said pleats into engagement with said liner assembly.