Air filter assembly system and method

An air filter assembly system comprising in combination:

• a. a housing split into abutting, generally cylindrical, housing halves, adapted to be joined at mating peripheral inner ends via a plurality of substantially equally peripherally spaced, opposed, abutting retaining members having opposing lateral recess portions defining T-shaped appendages;
• b. a cylindrical air inlet, on said housing, formed of transversely directed, abutting, semi-cylindrical air inlet portions, perpendicular to said housing, emanating from opposed curved portions of said housing halves inner ends, said cylindrical air inlet being substantially tangential with the peripheral curvature of said housing;
• c. a primary filter pack assembly including a basically disc-shaped, rigid, end cap having a diameter, greater than those of housing halves outer ends, and an inwardly depending, perpendicular, peripheral, outer lip of a diameter and axial extent so as to permit a slip-fit insertion of said cap into one of said housing halves outer ends, said end cap also including an inwardly depending, perpendicular, peripheral, inner lip, said lips defining, therebetween, an inner groove adapted to receive as well as fixedly confine and seal, via the addition of an adhesive material, an outer annular end portion of a generally cylindrical primary filter pack, with an inner annular end portion thereof being provided with a sealing material that serves the functions of both an inboard radial seal and an outboard radial seal, relative to a filter outlet end, said primary filter pack assembly, via its attached end cap, being adapted to be removably secured to said one of said housing halves, with said primary filter pack extending into said housing, via a plurality of peripherally spaced first latches attached to said one of said housing halves;
• d. said filter outlet end being generally annular in shape and having a plurality of coaxial, longitudinally extending annular rib portions, with an outermost diameter rib portion thereof having an inner surface of a diameter and axial extent so as to permit a slip-fit over one of said housing halves outer ends, said plurality of annular rib portions including a radially innermost annular air outlet portion connected to a first radially larger diameter annular rib portion via an annular connecting wall, and second and third successively larger diameter, spaced annular rib portions, with adjacent ones of said outermost, first, second and third rib portions being connected via annular end walls, said outlet end being adapted to be secured to one of said housing halves via one of heating staking and a plurality of peripherally spaced second latches attached to another one of said housing halves and;
• e. a safety filter assembly having a generally truncated cone-shaped body with an annular base at one end and an inverted, generally conical, inwardly directed, recessed portion attached to another end of said body, said safety filter assembly being adapted to be inserted into said filter outlet end, with said safety filter annular base being sealingly received within said outlet end first radially larger diameter annular rib portion and said safety filter assembly extending into said housing and therein, being held in place by and within said primary filter pack;
• and
• f. a filter attachment base assembly including a base frame with perpendicularly spaced side plates having, on their upper surfaces, a radially curved first bed portion, having a first radius of curvature, said first bed portion including a plurality of similarly curved, lateral, support pads, with integrated vertical stop portions, said support pads being separated via intermediate spacings, said base frame including a radially curved second bed portion having a second radius of curvature slightly greater than that of said first bed portion, said first and second bed portions, together with said spaced support pads and stop portions, defining, therebetween, a plurality of spaced, curved slot portions, said filter attachment base assembly further including a locking mechanism having a lock pin rotatable into the space between said first and second bed portions, said housing being adapted to be joined to said filter attachment base assembly by positioning said housing so that a plurality of said T-shaped appendages, after being lined up with successive ones of the intermediate spacings between said first bed support pads, enter said curved slot portions, with rotation of said housing causing said support pads to enter said opposed recess portions of said T-shaped appendages and, continuing said rotation until said support pad stop portions abut one side of said appendages and, thereafter rotating said locking mechanism until said lock pin operatively engages another side of one of said appendages.