Self-supporting, pleated, spirally wound filter

A coreless filter comprising a cylindrical filter element including:

• a) a first elongated strip of a first support material having the ends thereof joined together to form a first support loop;
• b) a second elongated strip of a second support material having the ends thereof joined together to form a second support loop, said first and second support loops being disposed in a generally concentric relationship;
• c) an elongated strip of a filter material having the ends thereof joined together to form a filter loop, said filter loop being concentric with, and interposed between, said first and second support loops;
• d) said filter element being configured as a pleated, spirally wound, cylindrical body which includes a plurality of inward pleats and a plurality of outward pleats in an alternating relationship therewith, said inward pleats being directed toward a central axis of the cylindrical filter element and having apices which are disposed in an abutting relationship so as to form a column which defines a central passageway through the filter element having first and second open ends, said outward pleats being wrapped about said central axis so that apices of said outward pleats are tangentially disposed upon the exterior surface of said cylindrical filter element;
• c) One of said first and second open ends of said central passageway being scaled with an end cap having a fluid flow conduit in communication with said central passageway;
• said central passageway of said element does not include any supporting core member therein, the element having sufficient rigidity and integrity such that the use of a core member is not needed.