Filter and filter cleaning apparatus and related methods
OwnerDonald O. Olsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods include an improved filter (203) and cleaning process.
Claims32
A filter cleaning apparatus including:
- a housing having an inlet, a clean outlet, and a flushing outlet;
- a filter element positioned to filter fluid flowing from said housing inlet to said clean outlet;
- a cleaning element having a vacuum rotor, wherein said vacuum rotor further includes a rotor inlet positioned to collect debris from said filter element and guide the debris for eventual dispense out said flushing outlet;
- a tracking guide positioned between said cleaning element and a central screw;
- and
- a pressure line connecting said housing inlet to a port located remotely on said housing, said port located to offset or generally balance pressure that would otherwise be exerted on said cleaning element;
- wherein the cleaning element is configured and positioned to be actuated by opening the flushing outlet;
- and
- wherein the vacuum rotor passes over substantially the entire filter element to vacuum debris therefrom.
Apparatus to filter fluid and periodically clean a related filter element, including a housing with an inlet, a clean outlet, a filter element positioned to filter fluid flowing from the inlet to the clean outlet, a cleaning element configured and positioned to be actuated by opening the flushing outlet, said cleaning element including at least one vacuum rotor that, upon actuation by opening the flushing outlet, passes over substantially the entire filter element to vacuum debris therefrom, said passing over being ensured by a control member acting between said cleaning element and said housing, and a pressure line connecting said housing inlet to a port located remotely on said housing, said port located to offset or generally balance pressure that would otherwise be exerted on said cleaning element.
A linkage for translating rotational movement between two elements in a cleaning filter assembly having fluid contaminants into longitudinal movement between those elements, including:
- a core element within said filter assembly;
- a sleeve element within said filter assembly, wherein said sleeve element and said core element are concentrically aligned and rotatable with respect to each other;
- a helical groove formed on one of said core or sleeve elements;
- and
- a pawl operatively retained in the other of said core or sleeve elements, said pawl cooperatively engaging said groove member and sliding along the path of said groove in response to said rotational movement, said sliding correspondingly causing said longitudinal movement such that the helical groove and pawl are void of contact with contaminants during the entire travel of the pawl along the helical groove between said core element and said sleeve element.
A filter cleaning apparatus including:
- a housing having an inlet, a clean outlet, and a flushing outlet;
- a filter element positioned to filter fluid containing contaminants flowing from the inlet to the clean outlet;
- and
- a cleaning element positioned and configured to be actuated by opening the flushing outlet, the cleaning element includes a vacuum rotor having a rotor inlet positioned to collect debris from the filter element as the vacuum rotor moves along the filter element to vacuum debris therefrom and guide the debris for eventual dispense out the flushing outlet;
- wherein the cleaning element further includes a sleeve element, and a central screw defining a helical track and a tracking guide substantially enclosed within the sleeve element such that the helical track and the tracking guide are void of any contact with fluid contaminants during the entire travel of the tracking guide along the helical track, the tracking guide cooperatively engaged with the central screw to move the vacuum rotor along the filter element in response to actuation of the cleaning element.
Apparatus to filter fluid and periodically clean a related filter element, including a housing having an inlet, a clean outlet, and a flushing outlet, a filter element positioned to filter fluid flowing from the inlet to the clean outlet, a cleaning element configured and positioned to be actuated by opening the flushing outlet, the cleaning element including at least one vacuum rotor having an inlet, the cleaning element further including a sleeve element and a central screw defining a helical track and a tracking guide substantially enclosed within the sleeve element, the tracking guide cooperatively engaged with the central screw to move the vacuum rotor along the filter element in response to activation of the cleaning element, such that the helical track and the tracking guide are void of contact with contaminants during the entire travel of the tracking guide along the helical track.
A linkage for translating rotational movement between two elements in a cleaning filter assembly containing fluid contaminants into longitudinal movement between those elements, including:
- a control apparatus within the filter assembly;
- a sleeve element within the control apparatus, a cetral screw and a tracking guide substantially enclosed within the sleeve element;
- and a helical track defined by one of the central screw or sleeve element and the tracking guide is defined by the other of said central screw or sleeve element wherein the tracking guide cooperatively engages the helical track to move a vacuum rotor along the filter element in response to activation of the control apparatus, such that the helical track and the tracking guide are void of contact with the contaminants during the entire travel of the tracking guide along the helical track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.