Composite planar and triangularly pleated filter element

A filter element comprising:

• at least two pleated filtering mediums;
• and
• at least one roughly flat filtering medium formed of filtering material and interposed between said pleated filtering mediums;
• each pleated filtering medium being formed of filtering material folded to include alternate top and bottom sections of roughly triangular shape, the top sections tapering in one direction and the bottom sections tapering in the opposite direction, and side wall sections lying between the top and bottom sections and having their edges joined in the front and back at the apexes of the triangular top and bottom section;
• said bottom sections of each pleated filtering medium having edges defining an end of each pleated filtering medium;
• one of said pleated filtering mediums having said bottom sections which are bonded and sealed to said roughly flat filtering medium only at and near said edges of said bottom sections;
• said top sections of each pleated filtering medium having edges defining the other end of each pleated filtering medium;
• the other of said pleated filtering mediums having said top sections which are bonded and sealed to said roughly flat filtering medium only at and near said edges of said top sections.

A filter element comprising:

• a plurality of pleated filtering mediums;
• and
• a plurality of roughly flat filtering mediums formed of filtering material and each interposed between adjacent two pleated filtering mediums to constitute a roughly rectangular subassembly;
• each pleated filtering medium being formed of filtering material folded to include alternate top and bottom sections of roughly triangular shape, the top sections tapering in one direction and the bottom sections tapering in the opposite direction, and side wall sections lying between the top and bottom sections and having their edges joined in the front and back at the apexes of the triangular top and bottom section;
• said bottom sections of each pleated filtering medium having edges defining an end of each pleated filtering medium;
• one of said adjacent two pleated filtering mediums having said bottom sections which are bonded and sealed to one roughly flat filtering medium only at and near said edges of said bottom sections;
• said top sections of each pleated filtering medium having edges defining the other end of each pleated filtering medium;
• the other of said adjacent two pleated filtering mediums having said top sections which are bonded and sealed to another roughly flat filtering medium only at and near said edges of said top sections;
• and
• casing means for surrounding said subassembly except for the front and back thereof;
• said one pleated filtering medium having said top sections which are bonded and sealed to said casing means only at said edges of said top sections, another pleated filtering medium having said bottom sections which are bonded and sealed to said casing means only at and near said edges of said bottom sections.

A filter element comprising:

• a plurality of pleated filtering mediums each formed of filtering material folded to include alternate top and bottom sections of roughly triangular shape, the top sections tapering in one direction and the bottom sections tapering in the opposite direction, and side wall sections lying between the top and bottom sections and having their edges joined in the front and back at the apexes of the triangular top and bottom section;
• a plurality of roughly channel-shaped filtering mediums, covering said pleated filtering mediums except for the front, back and bottom, respectively;
• said roughly channel-shaped filtering mediums and said pleated filtering mediums being joined together so as to constitute subassemblies;
• said subassemblies being arranged so as to constitute a laminated construction;
• and
• a roughly flat filtering medium formed of filtering material and covering said bottom of one subassembly;
• said roughly channel-shaped filtering medium of each subassembly being formed of filtering material and having a top wall section covering a top of said pleated filtering medium and a pair of side wall sections covering opposite lateral ends of said pleated filtering medium, said side wall sections having inwardly bent ends;
• said top sections of each pleated filtering medium having edges defining an end of each pleated filtering medium;
• said pleated filtering medium of each subasssembly having said top sections which are bonded and sealed to said top section of said roughly channel-shaped filtering medium of each subassembly only at and near said edges of said top sections;
• said bottom sections of each pleated filtering medium having edges defining the other end of said pleated filtering medium;
• said pleated filtering medium of said one subasssembly having said bottom sections which are bonded and sealed to said top sections of said roughly flat filtering medium of another subassembly only at and near said edges of said bottom sections;
• said roughly channel-shaped filtering medium of said one subassembly being bonded and sealed at said bent ends to said top wall sections of said roughly flat filtering medium of said another subassembly;
• said pleated filtering medium of another subassembly having said bottom sections which are bonded and sealed to said roughly flat filtering medium only at and near said edges of said bottom sections;
• said side wall sections of said roughly channel-shaped filtering medium of said second mentioned another subassembly being bonded and sealed at said bent ends to roughly flat filtering medium.

A filter element comprising:

• an originally roughly flat filtering medium formed of filtering material;
• a pleated filtering medium placed upon said roughly flat filtering medium and joined to same to form a subasssembly;
• and
• a center pipe around which said subassembly is wound and thereby formed into a coiled shape;
• said pleated filtering medium being formed of a filtering material folded to include alternate top and bottom sections of roughly triangular shape, the top sections tapering in one direction and the bottom sections tapering in the opposite direction, and side wall sections lying between the top and bottom sections and having their edges joined in the front and back at the apexes of the triangular top and bottom sections;
• said bottom sections having edges defining an end of said pleated filtering medium and bonded and sealed to one side of said originally roughly flat filtering medium only at and near said edges of said bottom sections;
• said top sections having edges defining the other end of said pleated filtering medium and bonded and sealed to the other side of said originally roughly flat filtering medium only at and near said edges of said top sections.