Spin-on desiccant cartridge with integral oil removal filter
AssigneeBendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
InventorsWilliam P. Fornof, James P. Koenig, Leonard Quinn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air dryer assembly for removing moisture and oil from a compressed air system includes a desiccant material received in a shell for adsorbing moisture as compressed air passes therethrough. A coalescing element is disposed between an inlet and outlet for removing oil aerosols from the compressed air. A check valve is disposed in parallel with the coalescing element and forces the compressed air to pass through the coalescing element as air flows from the inlet to the outlet. During a purge or reverse flow, compressed air bypasses the coalescing element and removes oil collected in the cartridge through the inlet.
Claims28
A method of drying and filtering compressed air comprising:
- flowing compressed air into an inlet of an air dryer assembly;
- passing the compressed air through an oil filter assembly, through a desiccant material and to the outlet of the air dryer assembly;
- flowing purge air from the outlet, through the desiccant material, through a means of restricting air flow and to the inlet of the air dryer assembly, wherein said purge air flows through oil collected in an oil collection region and to said inlet without passing through said oil filter.
An air dryer assembly for removing moisture and oil from a compressed air system comprising:
- a shell;
- a desiccant material received in the shell;
- an inlet disposed upstream of the desiccant material;
- an outlet disposed downstream of the desiccant material;
- a coalescing element disposed in the inlet having a coalescing material for removing at least oil from the compressed air;
- a check valve disposed in parallel with the coalescing element in the inlet, the check valve forcing compressed air to pass through the coalescing element as the compressed air flows from the inlet to the outlet and allowing compressed air to bypass the coalescing element as purge air flows from the outlet to the inlet;
- and
- an oil collection region located proximate to said check valve, wherein said purge air flow sweeps oil in said region to said inlet bypassing said coalescing element.
An air dryer assembly for use in an air brake assembly, the air dryer assembly comprising:
- a housing having an internal chamber, and an inlet and an outlet in selective communication with the chamber;
- a desiccant material received in the chamber between the inlet and outlet;
- an oil filter assembly interposed between the inlet and the desiccant material for removing oil from air passing through the chamber;
- a check valve disposed in parallel relation with the oil filter assembly and interposed between the inlet and the desiccant material, the check valve precluding air flow therethrough from the inlet toward the desiccant material and allowing purge air flow therethrough from the desiccant material to the inlet;
- an oil collection region located proximate to said check valve, wherein said purge air flow sweeps oil in said region to said inlet bypassing said coalescing element.
An air dryer assembly for removing moisture and oil from a compressed air system comprising:
- a housing having an internal chamber, and an inlet and outlet in selective communication with the chamber;
- a desiccant material disposed within said housing;
- an oil filter assembly interposed between the inlet and the desiccant material for removing oil from air passing through the chamber;
- and
- a means for permitting air flow in only one of two directions, such that purge air passes through oil collected in a oil collection region and out the inlet without passing through said oil filter assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.