Air cleaner assembly and filter element providing improved dynamic wall stiffness

An air cleaner assembly having improved dynamic wall stiffness, comprising:

• an air filter element having at least two opposing sidewalls, said filter element including
• a filter media filtering an air stream in said air cleaner, the filter media having an incoming flow face and an opposing outgoing flow face;
• a plurality of spaced apart wall stiffening members, each one of the wall stiffening members including
• a substantially rigid elongated stiffening rib having two opposing ends, said stiffening rib extending laterally across said filter media between said opposing sidewalls of the filter element;
• two locking members, each secured directly onto a different opposing end of the substantially rigid elongated stiffening rib, the two locking members having a first end arranged outwardly beyond the incoming flow face and an opposing second end arranged outwardly beyond the outgoing flow face;
• wherein said two locking members each include at least one tab member formed directly onto at least one end of the locking member, the at least one tab member extending axially outwards from the at least one end of said locking member;
• wherein said two locking members are elongated in an axial flow direction, said axial flow direction generally extending from said incoming flow face to said outgoing flow face;
• wherein each one of the wall stiffening members, each having the two locking members and each having the at least one tab member are spaced apart from other wall stiffening members of the plurality of wall stiffening members;
• an air cleaner housing comprising:
• a first housing shell having opposing sidewalls;
• and
• a second housing shell having opposing sidewalls,
• wherein said first housing shell and said second housing shell are detachably joined along mating sidewalls to form a cavity therein arranged inwardly from the opposing sidewalls into which said filter element is removably installed;
• at least two locking receptacles on one of the housing shells, said at least two locking receptacles secured onto interior sides of opposing sidewalls of said one of said housing shells, the at least two locking receptacles including:
• an outwardly arranged wall member arranged on a respective one of the opposing sidewalls of said one of said housing shells;
• an inwardly arranged wall member spaced apart an inwardly direction from the outwardly arranged wall member, such that the inwardly arranged wall member is positioned between the outwardly arranged wall member and the cavity;
• wherein the outwardly arranged wall member and the inwardly arranged wall member are spaced apart in a spaced parallel relationship forming a receptacle gap therebetween;
• wherein the first or second end of the two locking members of each wall stiffening member of the plurality of spaced apart wall stiffening members are received into and lockably engage into the receptacle gaps of a respective one of the at least two locking receptacles forming a lockable engagement
• wherein said lockable engagement rigidly and detachably couples said opposing sidewalls of at least one of said first housing shell and said second housing shell, said lockable engagement coupling and locking said opposing sidewalls together to deflect in unison with the effect of substantially canceling pressure pulsations forces on said opposing sidewalls, and
• wherein said lockable engagement is a rigid coupling providing dynamic stiffening of said at least two opposing sidewalls through said at least one wall stiffening member, said dynamic stiffening reducing housing wall noise by stiffening of said at least two opposing side walls against pressure pulsations present in an air stream in said air cleaner housing.