U.S. patent application number 11/875022 was filed with the patent office on 2009-04-23 for filter cap additive delivery system.
This patent application is currently assigned to The Lubrizol Corporation. Invention is credited to James D. Burrington, Gary A. Garvin.
Application Number | 20090101561 11/875022 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40229910 |
Filed Date | 2009-04-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090101561 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Burrington; James D. ; et
al. |
April 23, 2009 |
Filter Cap Additive Delivery System
Abstract
A additive delivery system and method which includes a additive
gel, a filter and a fluid/gel chemistry exchange region, wherein
the exchange region subjects the additive gel to different types or
combinations of contact with the fluid in order to control the
additive release rate, maintain a uniform release rate, maintain
the physical integrity of the gel or combinations thereof.
Inventors: |
Burrington; James D.; (Gates
Mills, OH) ; Garvin; Gary A.; (Mentor, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE LUBRIZOL CORPORATION;ATTN: DOCKET CLERK, PATENT DEPT.
29400 LAKELAND BLVD.
WICKLIFFE
OH
44092
US
|
Assignee: |
The Lubrizol Corporation
Wickliffe
OH
|
Family ID: |
40229910 |
Appl. No.: |
11/875022 |
Filed: |
October 19, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
210/206 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 37/025 20130101;
C10N 2050/10 20130101; C10M 2205/04 20130101; C10N 2070/02
20200501; C10M 2205/02 20130101; C10M 161/00 20130101; B01J 4/02
20130101; C10N 2050/00 20130101; C10M 2203/1006 20130101; C10M
2215/28 20130101; C10N 2040/25 20130101; C10M 2205/04 20130101;
C10M 2209/086 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
210/206 |
International
Class: |
B01D 35/00 20060101
B01D035/00 |
Claims
1. A delivery system for supplying one or more additives to a fluid
comprising an additive gel, a filter having a housing, and a
fluid/gel chemistry exchange region located outside of the region
of the filter housing that experiences the direct flow of the fluid
where the fluid contacts the gel.
2. The system, of claim 1 wherein the exchange region allows for
fluid/gel contacting which comprises: a) indirect fluid flow, b)
direct fluid flow, or c) combinations thereof.
3. The system of claim 1 where the exchange region is selected so
as to control the release rate of additives from the additive gel
into the fluid, to maintain a uniform release rate of additives, to
maintain the physical integrity of the additive gel, or
combinations thereof.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a filter gel
cap that contains the gel, wherein the filter gel cap is mountable
and removable from the crown of the filter housing, wherein the
filter housing has one or more openings on the crown of the filter
that allow fluid to pass from the filter, contact the additive gel
and return to the filter.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the number, size, shape,
orientation, location, pattern, or combinations thereof of the
openings on the crown of the filter housing are selected so as to
control and maintain the desired additive gel component release
rate and additive gel physical integrity.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the cap of the filter housing
comprises an annular space along the outer wall of the filter cap
housing, wherein the annular space is created by the outer wall of
the filter cap housing body and an interior wall that forms a
cylinder within the filter cap, wherein the interior wall is
connects to the outer wall on one end and is open on the other, and
wherein the additive gel is placed within the annular space,
whereby the fluid comes into contact with the additive gel in the
filter by passing over the open end of the interior wall,
contacting the additive gel in the annular space and passing back
over the wall to the interior of the filter.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the filter cap with the
gel-containing annular space has a mountable and removable lid that
allows for direct access to the gel-containing annular space.
8. The system of claim 6 wherein the interior wall that forms the
annular gel-containing space contains one or more openings that
allow fluid to pass from the filter housing into the annular space
and contact the additive gel, and wherein the number, size, shape,
orientation, location, pattern, or combinations thereof of the
openings are utilized to control and maintain the desired additive
gel component release rate and additive gel physical integrity.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein the interior wall that forms the
annular gel-containing space forms an upper lip that acts as a
diverter edge, wherein the diverter edge is designed to affect the
fluid flow around the edge and so into the gel-containing annular
space.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the additive gel is contained
within a gel cup, wherein one or more gel cups may be inserted into
and removed from the system, the gel cup having one or more
openings to allow contact of the fluid that passes through the
filter with the gel.
11. The system of claim 8 wherein at least some of the openings in
the interior wall of the annular space are unobstructed by the
additive gel inside the space so as to allow some of the fluid to
enter the annular space through the openings and dissolve one or
more additive components in the gel.
12. The system of claim 8 further comprising a fluid flow diverter
edge at the open end of the interior wall that forms the
gel-containing annular space, wherein the diverter edge acts to
divert the flow of the fluid passing through the filter and near
the opening of the annular gel-containing space, providing control
over the gel/fluid chemistry exchange region.
13. The system of claim 1 wherein the filter is a cartridge filter
that is mounted inside a canister type housing that has inlet and
outlet passages for permitting fluid to flow through the housing
and around the cartridge.
14. The system of claim 1 wherein the delivery system is used to
condition the fluid in devices comprising internal combustion
engines, natural gas engines, stationary engines, metal working
coolant systems, industrial lubricated systems, oil or fuel
filters, hydraulic systems, or transmission systems.
15. The system of claim 1 wherein the filter is an oil filter and
the fluid is engine lubricating oil.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the device utilizing the filter
is a diesel passenger car engine.
17. A method for releasing additives into a fluid comprising
operating a device that utilizes a fluid, wherein the device
utilizes the system of claim 1.
18. A filter cap that contains a fluid additive gel which can be
mounted onto a fluid filter in such a way as to allow a fluid to
pass between the fluid filter and the filter cap, wherein the
filter cap, when mounted onto said filter, contains a fluid/gel
chemistry exchange region located outside of the region of the
interior of the filter that experiences the direct flow of the
fluid, where the fluid contacts the gel.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to additive delivery systems
for allowing a fluid, such as oil, to come into contact with an
additive gel to cause one or more additive components in the gel to
be slowly released into the fluid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Specially formulated slow-release additives that provide for
the slow release of additives into a fluid such as oil to meet
certain performance requirements of the fluid are generally known.
In some, the additives are incorporated into thermoplastic polymers
which slowly dissolve into the fluid. In others, the additives are
incorporated into polymers which are oil-permeable at elevated
temperatures. In still others, the additives are incorporated into
particles which are fluid-insoluble but fluid-wettable. In still
others, fluid soluble solid polymers are provided, with or without
additional additives being incorporated into the polymers.
[0003] Although these slow-release additives are capable of
introducing additives in the fluid being conditioned, it has been
discovered that additive gels can be used more effectively to
provide for the slow release of additives into a fluid, such as
lubricant additives into oil. In particular, it has been found that
fluid-soluble additive gels slowly dissolve to their component
additive parts when contacted by the fluid. Examples of such
additive gels are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,483,916, filed Jul.
16, 2002, U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 10/603,644, filed Jun.
25, 2003, U.S. Ser. No. 10/603,894, filed Jun. 25, 2003 and U.S.
Ser. No. 10/603,517, filed Jun. 25, 2003, which are incorporated
herein by reference.
[0004] Garvin et al, U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,655, discloses an additive
delivery system which includes a container for the additive gel
wherein the container has one or more openings to allow contact of
the fluid with the gel to cause one or more additive components in
the gel to be released into the fluid and the container is located
in a housing with a means of mounting the housing between the
filter and the filter mounting surface.
[0005] Burrington et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,916, discloses an oil
filter comprising a housing, a filter for removing particulate
matter from the oil passing through the filter, and oil-soluble
lubricant additives inside the housing for slow release into the
oil.
[0006] Although these additive delivery systems are capable of
introducing additives into the fluid being conditioned, attaining a
specific release rate of components while maintaining physical gel
integrity is a critical feature for a practical controlled release
gel system. Improper and/or non-uniform release rates may result in
less than optimal performance of the fluid being conditioned and
lack of physical gel integrity can result in particles of gel
breaking off of the larger gel mass present in the controlled
release system. These gel fragments are carried by the fluid and
may plug filters and engine orifices, which may negatively impact
the overall performance of the fluid-utilizing system or
device.
[0007] Some applications have unique fluid flow characteristics
through the fluid system, filter and any additive delivery system
present. These fluid flow characteristics, which include fluid
pressure, temperature and flow rate, can interfere with an additive
delivery system, resulting in undesired or non-optimal additive
release rates and a loss in gel integrity, leading to problems
discussed above. Diesel passenger cars in particular tend to have
oil system flow characteristics that interfere with existing
additive delivery systems.
[0008] There is a need for additive delivery systems that allow for
the desired contact of the fluid with these additive gels, to cause
one or more components of the additives in the gels to be slowly
released into the fluid, wherein the desired and/or uniform release
rate of components is achieved while maintaining physical gel
integrity. There is also a need for additive delivery systems that
provides the desired controlled release of one or more additives in
systems with various fluid flow characteristics, including those
seen in the oil system of diesel passenger cars.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention involves delivery systems for
supplying one or more additives to a fluid by allowing the contact
of a fluid with an additive gel, causing one or more components of
the additives in the gel to be slowly released into the fluid,
wherein the desired and/or uniform release rate of components is
achieved while maintaining physical gel integrity.
[0010] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the additive
delivery system comprises an additive gel, a filter having a
housing, and a fluid/gel chemistry exchange region located outside
of the region of the filter housing that experiences the direct
flow of the fluid where the fluid contacts the gel.
[0011] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
exchange region of the system may allow for fluid/gel contacting
comprising a) indirect fluid flow, b) direct fluid flow, or c)
combinations thereof. The exchange region may be selected so as to
control the release rate of additives from the additive gel into
the fluid, to maintain a uniform release rate of additives, to
maintain the physical integrity of the additive gel, or
combinations thereof.
[0012] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
system may comprise a filter gel cap that contains the gel, wherein
the filter gel cap is mountable and removable from the crown of the
filter housing, wherein the filter housing has one or more openings
on the crown of the filter that allow fluid to pass from the
filter, contact the additive gel and return to the filter. The
number, size, shape, orientation, location, pattern, or
combinations thereof of the openings on the crown of the filter
housing may be selected so as to control and maintain the desired
additive gel component release rate and additive gel physical
integrity.
[0013] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the cap
of the filter housing may comprise an annular space along the outer
wall of the filter cap housing, wherein the annular space is
created by the outer wall of the filter cap housing body and an
interior wall that forms a cylinder within the filter cap, wherein
the interior wall connects to the outer wall on one end and is open
on the other, and wherein the additive gel is placed within the
annular space, whereby the fluid comes into contact with the
additive gel in the filter by passing over the open end of the
interior wall, contacting the additive gel in the annular space and
passing back over the wall to the interior of the filter. The
filter cap with the gel-containing annular space may have a
mountable and removable lid that allows for direct access to the
gel-containing annular space. The interior wall that forms the
annular gel-containing space may contain one or more openings that
allow fluid to pass from the filter housing into the annular space
and contact the additive gel, and wherein the number, size, shape,
orientation, location, pattern, or combinations thereof of the
openings are utilized to control and maintain the desired additive
gel component release rate and additive gel physical integrity.
[0014] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
filter may be a cartridge filter that is mounted inside a canister
type housing that has inlet and outlet passages for permitting
fluid to flow through the housing and around the cartridge.
[0015] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
delivery system may be used to condition the fluid in devices
comprising internal combustion engines, natural gas engines,
stationary engines, metal working coolant systems, industrial
lubricated systems, oil or fuel filters, hydraulic systems, or
transmission systems.
[0016] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
filter may be an oil filter and the fluid may be engine lubricating
oil, and the device utilizing the filter may be a diesel passenger
car engine.
[0017] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
system may be used as part of a method for releasing additives into
a fluid comprising operating a device that utilizes a fluid.
[0018] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
system can be the filter cap that contains a fluid additive gel,
which can be mounted onto a fluid filter in such a way as to allow
a fluid to pass between the filter and the cap, wherein the filter
cap, when mounted onto said filter, contains a fluid/gel chemistry
exchange region located outside the interior region of the filter
that experiences the direct flow of the fluid, where the fluid
contacts the gel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The present invention may be more readily understood by
reference to the following drawings in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic longitudinal section view
through one form of additive delivery system of the present
invention including a filter additive gel cap and filter housing
cap, where the additive gel is present in the filter gel cap, where
the filter gel cap fastens to the filter housing cap, such that
when the assembly is used in an operating system, the assembly
allows for the fluid that passes through the filter to pass through
the openings in the filter housing cap and come into contact with
the additive gel inside the filter gel cap.
[0021] FIG. 1a is a schematic longitudinal section view through one
form of additive delivery system of the present invention in an
assembled state with fluid flow indicators.
[0022] FIG. 1b is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
additive delivery system of the present invention in an assembled
state.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a sectional perspective view of one embodiment of
the filter additive gel cap without the additive gel shown.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a sectional perspective view of one embodiment of
the filter housing cap for use with the filter additive gel
cap.
[0025] FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic longitudinal section view
through one form of additive delivery system of the present
invention including a filter additive gel cap and filter housing
cap, where the additive gel is present in the filter gel cap, where
the filter gel cap fastens to the filter housing cap, such that
when the assembly is used in an operating system, the assembly
allows for the fluid that passes through the filter to pass through
the openings in the filter housing cap and come into contact with
the additive gel.
[0026] FIG. 4a is a schematic longitudinal section view through one
form of additive delivery system of the present invention in an
assembled state with fluid flow indicators.
[0027] FIG. 4b is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
additive delivery system of the present invention in an assembled
state.
[0028] FIG. 5 is a sectional perspective view of one embodiment of
the filter additive gel cap without the additive gel shown.
[0029] FIG. 6 is a sectional perspective view of one embodiment of
the filter housing cap for use with the filter additive gel
cap.
[0030] FIG. 7 is an exploded schematic longitudinal section view
through one form of additive delivery system of the present
invention including a combination filter additive gel cap and
filter housing cap, where the additive gel is present in the
combination filter additive gel cap and filter housing cap in an
annular space, where the combination filter additive gel cap and
filter housing cap comprises two parts, a body part and a lid part,
where the lid can be removed to allow for more convenient insertion
of the additive gel into the annular space, such that when the
assembly is used in an operating system, the assembly allows for
the fluid that passes through the filter to come into contact with
the additive gel.
[0031] FIG. 7a is a schematic longitudinal section view through one
form of additive delivery system of the present invention in an
assembled state with fluid flow indicators.
[0032] FIG. 7b is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
additive delivery system of the present invention in an assembled
state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] The additive delivery systems of the present invention
provide for the desired contact of a fluid being conditioned with
an additive gel to cause one or more components of the additives in
the gel to be slowly released into the fluid as described hereafter
wherein the desired and/or uniform release rate of the one or more
components is achieved while maintaining the physical integrity of
the additive gel. The additive delivery systems of the present
invention can be used to condition the fluid in any lubricated
mechanical systems or devices including but not limited to those in
internal combustion engines, such as, but not limited to, diesel
passenger car engines, natural gas engines, stationary engines,
metal working coolant systems, industrial lubricated systems, oil
or fuel filters, hydraulic systems and transmission systems and the
like. The additive delivery system of the present invention
provides the desired release rate and maintains gel integrity under
various fluid flow characteristics in the fluid system and filter.
These fluid flow characteristics include, but are not limited to,
fluid pressure, temperature and flow rate. This improved
performance, across applications with varying fluid flow
characteristics in the applications' fluid system and filters, is
achieved through the design of the additive delivery systems of the
present invention.
[0034] In one embodiment of the additive delivery systems of the
present invention the system comprises a fluid/gel chemistry
exchange region where the gel and fluid come into contact with one
another to allow for the release of additives from the additive gel
into the fluid. The exchange region may allow for contact that
subjects the additive gel to direct fluid flow, where direct fluid
flow is fluid flow at the point of contact with the additive gel at
the flow rate, direction, pressure, temperature, and the like,
which is near or about the maximum value reached by the fluid in
the filter for one or more of the parameters listed. The exchange
region may allow for contact that subjects the additive gel to
indirect fluid flow, where indirect fluid flow is fluid flow at the
point of contact with the additive gel at a flow rate, direction,
pressure, temperature, and the like, which is below the maximum
value reached by the fluid in the filter for one or more of the
parameters listed. Indirect flow regions may be created by placing
the additive gel in a nearly enclosed region of the filter or
outside the filter body as well as other means. The exchange region
may also allow for combinations of these types of contact. This
combination of exchange regions allows for the systems of the
present invention to be customized to the additive release needs of
the various applications, including applications with extreme or
unusual flow characteristics in the filter.
[0035] In one embodiment the exchange region can experience less
than full direct flow, that is some amount of indirect flow. In
another embodiment the ratio of direct flow to indirect flow, by
volume, in the exchange region can be between 5:95 and 95:5,
between 10:90 and 90:10, or between 25:75 and 75:25. In another
embodiment the ratio of direct flow to indirect flow, by volume, in
the exchange region can be between 5:95 and 60:40, between 10:90
and 50:50, or between 15:85 and 45:55.
[0036] In one embodiment the additive delivery systems of the
present invention contain the additive gel within a gel filter cap
which attaches to the outer body of a filter whereby the additive
gel is located outside of the filter housing and is not located in
the direct flow areas of the fluid that passes through the filter.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the filters used in the
additive delivery systems of the present invention may be cartridge
filters and the fluid may be lubricating oil.
[0037] Examples of additive gels which may be used with the present
invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,483,916, filed Jul. 16,
2002, U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 10/603,644, filed Jun. 25,
2003, U.S. Ser. No. 10/603,894, filed Jun. 25, 2003 and U.S. Ser.
No. 10/603,517, filed Jun. 25, 2003, which are incorporated herein
by reference.
[0038] Referring now in detail to the drawings, wherein the same
reference numbers are used to designate like parts, and initially
to FIG. 1, there is shown one form of a additive delivery system 1
in accordance with the present invention, including an additive gel
filter cap 2 which may be mounted onto, and removed from, a filter
housing cap 3 where the filter housing cap 3 connects to a filter
body housing (not shown) which includes a filter media (not shown)
to form a complete filter, such as an oil filter. The filter
housing cap 3 is shown with external threading 17 along its bottom
edge where the filter housing body would have internal threading
and the filter housing cap 3 would fasten to the filter housing
body by spinning the filter housing cap 3 so the external threads
17 interface with the internal threads of the filter housing body.
The filter housing cap 3 may have a filter media fastening device
18 located on the inside surface opposite of the surface that
mounts onto the filter using device. This fastening device may be
in the form of a circular clip that is used to secure a filter
media insert (not shown) in the filter housing cap. The filter
media insert may connect to the filter housing cap 3 by snapping
onto the fastening device 18 or by similar means. This type of
removable and replaceable filter media insert is commonly used in
cartridge type filters. The filter housing cap 3 may also be part
of a complete, single piece filter (not shown), where the filter
housing cap cannot be separated from the rest of the filter
housing, but is a single piece.
[0039] The additive gel filter cap 2 may include a bolt head 5 on
the crown of the additive gel filter cap 2, such as a hex bolt
head, to allow for tools, such as wrenches, to interface with the
gel filter cap 2. The filter housing cap 3 may also include a bolt
head 12 on the crown of the filter housing cap, such as a hex bolt
head.
[0040] The additive gel filter cap 2 may include a bolt head socket
7, located on the inside surface of the additive gel filter cap 2
opposite of the end with the mounting surface for the filter using
device, which rests on and interfaces with the filter housing cap 3
when the gel filter cap 2 is mounted on the filter housing cap 3.
More specifically, the bolt head socket 7 of the additive gel
filter cap 2, may interface with the bolt head 12 of the filter
housing cap 3, creating an interface that allows the effect of
tools on the bolt head of the additive gel filter cap 5 to be
transferred to the bolt head 12 of the filter housing cap 3. For
example, where the bolt head on the crown of a filter is utilized
to install the filter onto a larger device, such as an internal
combustion engine, the interface created by the additive gel filter
cap's bolt head socket 7 allows the bolt head on the additive gel
filter cap to be utilized in the same manner for the filter
installation.
[0041] The additive gel filter cap 2 contains the additive gel 4 in
the interior void space 9 of the additive gel filter cap 2 between
and around the bolt head socket 7 and the side wall 8 of the
additive gel filter cap 2, as shown in FIG. 1. The additive gel 4
may be placed in the interior void space 9 prior to the additive
gel filter cap 2 being mounted onto the filter housing cap 3. The
additive gel 4 may be dispensed into the interior void space 9
whereby the components of the gel may be mixed within the space
such that the gel formation/manufacturing occurs within the
additive gel filter cap 2, or the additive gel 4 may be pre-formed
into a shape or shapes that allows the gel to be inserted into the
interior void space 9 of the additive gel filter cap 2. The
additive gel 4 may be further contained in one or more gel
containers, packages or gel cups (not shown) that may be inserted
into the interior void space 9 of the additive gel filter cap 2.
The gel cup or cups, or other containers, may be removable,
allowing the gel cup to be removed and replaced or refilled with
gel, and placed in another additive gel filter cap 2 for additional
use. A removable gel cup may also allow a used filter to be
serviced, either after removal from the apparatus or device it is
used with or while still connected to such an apparatus or device,
by removing the additive gel filter cap 2 from the filter housing
cap 3 and then removing the used gel cup and replacing it with a
new gel cup with a new supply of additive gel 4. The gel cup may
have openings of various sizes and shapes to allow for the contact
of the fluid with the additive gel 4 present in the gel cup.
[0042] The filter housing cap 3 may be a standard filter housing
cap used with a filter housing body and filter media to form a
conventional filter where modifications are made after the initial
filter manufacturing in order to make the filter housing cap 3
compatible with the additive gel filter cap 2. The filter housing
cap 3 may also be specially designed to work with an additive gel
filter cap 2. The filter housing cap 3 may have one or more
openings 13 located on the crown of the housing cap that allow for
fluid, when a filter gel cap 2 is mounted onto the housing cap 3,
to pass from the interior of the filter cap 14, through the
openings 13 in the filter housing cap 3 and into the additive gel
filter cap's interior void space 9, where the fluid comes into
contact with the additive gel 4, and then passes through the
openings 13 in the filter housing cap 3 and back into the interior
of the filter cap 14 and the rest of the filter (not shown).
[0043] The filter housing cap openings 13 may be one or more
circular holes, as shown in FIG. 1, that allow for fluid to travel
across the filter housing cap 3. The housing cap openings 13 may be
of various sizes and shapes, including but not limited to circles,
ovals, slits or mixtures thereof and may be arranged symmetrically
or randomly on the filter housing cap 3. The openings 13 may also
be so large as to effectively encompass the entire crown of the
filter cap, leaving only the filter media insert support 18 and
some means connecting the support 18 to a remaining rim of the
filter housing cap 3 where the rim may include the housing cap's
side exterior wall 16 and everything below it. The openings 13 may
be arranged such that the axis passing through the center of the
openings are parallel to the vertical axis of the filter housing
cap 3. The openings 13 may be also be arranged such that the axis
passing through the center of the openings are at an angle to the
vertical axis of the filter housing cap 3. The openings 13 may be
part of the filter design and fabrication or the openings 13 may be
created after the filter is manufactured.
[0044] The flow characteristic of the fluid as it contacts the
additive gel 4 can be controlled and by modifying the orientation,
size, shape, arrangement, location and combinations thereof of the
openings 13 in the filter housing cap 3. Modifying one or more of
these parameters related to the housing cap's openings 13 modifies
the amount of surface area of the additive gel 4 contacted by the
fluid passing through the additive gel filter cap 2; modifies the
flow rate, flow direction, fluid pressure and other fluid flow
characteristics of the fluid passing through the additive gel
filter cap 2; or combinations thereof. This control of fluid flow
characteristic allows for the additive delivery systems of the
present invention to provide the desired additive gel component
release rate while maintaining additive gel integrity in a wide
variety of applications.
[0045] In addition, the inner surface of the additive gel filter
cap's side wall 8 may have an undercut, grade, reduction or similar
geometric feature to create a flow path for the fluid around the
additive gel 4 and/or to help keep the additive gel 4 secure and
intact within the void space 9 of the additive gel filter cap
2.
[0046] The additive gel filter cap 2 mounts onto the filter housing
cap 3 whereby the additive gel filter cap 2 slides over filter
housing cap 3 such that the bottom edge 11 of the side wall 8 of
the additive gel filter cap 2 rests in an outer lip 15 that runs
around the outside of the filter housing cap 3 below all of the
openings 13 in the filter housing cap 3 and above the external
threads 17 of the filter housing cap 3. The additive gel filter cap
2 may also include a seal cavity 10 which may be in the form of a
annular space carved out of the lower inside surface of the side
wall 8, forming a ring cavity that allows for the use of an o-ring
or similar seal (not shown) in the seal cavity 10. The use of a
seal in the seal cavity 10 can act to provide a seal between the
additive gel filter cap 2 and the filter housing cap 3 where the
seal in the seal cavity 10 contacts the filter housing cap exterior
wall surface 16 when the additive gel filter cap 2 is mounted on
the filter housing cap 3.
[0047] The additive gel filter cap 2 may also be secured to the
filter housing cap 3 by means of a bolt or similar fastening
device. The bolt, or similar device, may be placed through the
center of the filter housing cap 3 through a hollow shaft 22 in the
bolt head 12 on the crown of the housing cap 3. The bolt may then
interface with threads on the walls of a similar shaft 6 in the
center of the additive gel cap 2 thereby fastening the additive gel
cap 2 onto the filter housing cap 3.
[0048] FIG. 1a shows a cross section diagram of the present
invention where the additive gel filter cap 2 and the filter
housing cap 3 are in an assembled state, where the additive gel
filter cap 2 is mounted on crown of the filter housing cap 3 and
the arrows indicate the flow of the fluid being conditioned through
the system. The filter body housing 19 and the filter media 20 are
also shown. FIG. 1b shows an exploded perspective view of the
present invention. The same labels are used to identify the various
features of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 1a and 1b, unless
otherwise noted.
[0049] In FIG. 1a the arrows indicate how the fluid from the device
with which the filter is being used may flow within the filter, and
more specifically how the fluid may flow within the filter housing
cap 3, pass through the openings 13 in the filter housing cap 3 and
into the additive gel filter cap 2 where the fluid comes into
contact with the additive gel 4 and then passes back through the
openings 13 in the filter housing cap 3, into the filter housing
cap 3 and back to the device as filtered and conditioned fluid.
[0050] The fluid flowing through the filter housing body 19 will
pass through a filter element 20 which may be fabricated of any
suitable filtering medium and will return the fluid to the device.
The fluid, as shown in FIG. 1a, will also pass into the additive
gel filter cap 2 where the fluid will come into contact with the
additive gel 4 and then return to the filter housing cap 3 and the
filter housing 19. This controlled flow of fluid across the
additive gel 4 results in a controlled dissolution of the additive
components of the additive gel 4 into the fluid while maintaining
the physical integrity of the additive gel 4. The present invention
allows gels of various formulations, including relatively soft gels
that would otherwise: 1) release additive components too quickly,
2) release additive components at non-uniform rates, 3) completely
dissolve before the end of a desired service cycle, 4) be broken up
into gel fragments that would be carried by the fluid and
potentially block device lines and orifices, or 5) combination
thereof, to be used more effectively and in a wider range of
applications without these issues.
[0051] FIG. 2 is a sectional perspective view of one embodiment of
the filter additive gel cap where no additive gel is present and
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the filter
housing cap. The identifying features of the embodiments shown in
FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are similar to those described in FIG. 1, FIG. 1a
and FIG. 1b and are identified by the same labels.
[0052] Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
4, where the additive delivery system 31 includes an additive gel
filter cap 32 which may be mounted onto a filter housing cap 33
where the filter housing cap 33 connects to a filter body housing
(not shown) to form a complete filter, such as but not limited to
an oil filter. While FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of the present
invention and FIG. 1 shows another embodiment, many of the same
features are present in both, and where a given feature is present
in both embodiments, the description provided above in regards to
FIG. 1 also applies to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 unless
otherwise noted.
[0053] The filter housing cap 33 in FIG. 4 is shown with external
threading 47 along its bottom edge where the filter housing body
(not shown) would have internal threading and the filter housing
cap 33 would fasten to the filter housing body (not shown) by
spinning the filter housing cap 33 so the external threads 47
interface with the internal threads of the filter housing body (not
shown). The filter housing cap 33 may have a filter media insert
fastening device 52 similar to the media fastening device 18 in
FIG. 1 that allows filter media inserts to connect to the filter
housing cap 33.
[0054] Similar to the embodiment of the present invention shown in
FIG. 1, the embodiment of the present invention may include a bolt
head (not shown) on the crown of the filter housing cap 33. The
present invention may also include, as shown in FIG. 4, an opening
42 on the crown of the filter housing cap 33 where the opening 42
allows for a bolt 51 or similar device to be used to secure the
additive gel filter cap 32 to the filter housing cap 33 by allowing
the bolt 51 to pass through the opening 42 on the crown of the
filter housing cap and into a shaft 36 in the additive gel filter
cap 32. The shaft 36 may have threads that interface with the bolt
51, thus securing the additive gel filter cap 32 to the filter
housing cap 33. The filter additive gel cap 32 may also include a
bolt head 35 on the crown of the filter housing cap, such as a hex
bolt head or square bolt head.
[0055] The additive gel filter cap 32 may include a bolt head
socket (not shown), located inside the additive gel filter cap 32,
which rests on and interfaces with the filter housing cap 33. More
specifically, the bolt head socket (not shown) of the additive gel
filter cap 32, may interface with a bolt head socket (not shown) of
the filter housing cap 33 or may rest on the crown of the filter
housing cap 33.
[0056] The additive gel filter cap 32 contains the additive gel 34
in the interior void space 39 of the additive gel filter cap 32
between and around any bolt head socket (not shown) and the side
walls 38 of the additive gel filter cap 32, as shown in FIG. 4. The
additive gel 34 may be placed in the additive gel filter cap's
interior void space 39 in the same manners described above in
regards to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1.
[0057] The filter housing cap 33 may be a standard filter housing
cap used with modifications made after the initial filter
manufacturing in order to make the filter housing cap 33 compatible
with the additive gel filter cap 32. The filter housing cap 33 may
also be specially designed to work with an additive gel filter cap
32. The filter housing cap 33 may have one or more openings 43
located on the crown of the filter housing cap 33 that allow for
fluid, when the cap is assembled as a filter with an additive gel
filter cap 32, to pass from the interior of the filter housing cap
44, through the openings 43 in the filter housing cap 33 and into
the additive gel filter cap's interior void space 39, where the
fluid comes into contact with the additive gel 34, and then passes
through the openings 43 in the filter housing cap 33 and back into
the interior of the filter housing cap 44 and the rest of the
filter (not shown).
[0058] The filter housing cap openings 43 may be varied in the same
ways described above in regards to the embodiment of the invention
shown in FIG. 1, and more specifically, in regards to the openings
13 in the filter housing cap 3 shown in FIG. 1. Varying the
parameters related to the openings 43 has the same impact as
described above, specifically controlling the flow characteristics
of the fluid as it contacts the additive gel 34. This control of
fluid flow characteristic allows for the additive delivery systems
of the present invention to provide the desired additive gel
component release rate while maintaining additive gel integrity in
a wide variety of applications.
[0059] The additive gel filter cap 32 mounts onto the filter
housing cap 33 whereby the additive gel filter cap 32 slides over
the filter housing cap 33 such that the bottom edge 41 of the side
wall 38 of the additive gel filter cap 32 rests in an outer lip 45
that runs around the outside of the filter housing cap 33 below all
of the openings 43 in the filter housing cap 33 and above the
external threads 47 of the filter housing cap 33.
[0060] The filter housing cap's outer lip 45 may have an outer wall
53 that creates a wall around the outer edge of the lip 45. This
outer wall may create a circular well between the filter housing
cap lip 45, the filter housing cap exterior wall surface 46, and
the lip's outer wall 53, in which the bottom edge 41 of the
additive gel filter cap 32 sits when the additive gel filter cap 32
is mounted to the filter housing cap 33.
[0061] The outer wall 53 may have one or more openings 52 that
allow for the use of one or more screws, pins or other similar
items (not shown), where the screws of other similar items are used
to further secure the additive gel filter cap 32 to the filter
housing cap 33. This securing is accomplished wherein the additive
gel filter cap 32 is mounted on the filter housing cap 33 such that
the bottom surface 41 of the additive gel filter cap 32 is resting
on the outer lip 45 of the filter housing cap, set screws, or other
similar items, can be inserted in the openings 52 in the lip's
outer wall 53 such that the screws are secured to the wall 53 and
press against the additive gel filter cap's outer side walls 38,
causing the inner surface of the ring 54 created by the bottom
surface 41 of the additive gel filter cap 32 to be pressed against
the outer wall 46 of the filter housing cap 33, and thereby holding
the additive filter cap 32 in place.
[0062] The filter housing cap 33 may also have a sealing cavity or
groove 40 around its circumference where the sealing groove 40 may
be located in the exterior surface 46 of the filter housing cap 33
just above the housing cap's outer lip 45. The sealing groove 40
may also act to further secure the additive gel filter cap 32 to
the filter housing cap 33 where, when the additive gel filter cap
32 is being mounted onto the filter housing cap 33, the ring-like
inside surface 54 of additive gel filter cap 32, created by the gel
cap's bottom surface 41, slides down along the filter housing cap's
outer wall 46 and is inserted in the sealing groove 40 of the
filter housing cap 40. If sized appropriately, the additive gel
filter cap 32 and the filter housing cap 33 would snap together
with the gel cap's inside ring surface 54 locking into the filter
housing cap's sealing groove 40. The sealing groove 40 may also
contain an o-ring or similar sealing device (not shown) to form a
seal between the filter housing cap 33 and the gel cap 32.
[0063] FIG. 4a shows a cross section diagram of the present
invention where the additive gel filter cap 32 and the filter
housing cap 33 are in an assembled state, where the additive gel
filter cap 32 is mounted on the crown of the filter housing cap 33
and the arrows indicate the flow of the fluid being conditioned
through the system. The filter body housing 49 and filter media 50
are also shown. FIG. 4b shows a perspective view of the present
invention. The same labels are used to identify the various
features of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4, 4a and 4b, unless
otherwise noted.
[0064] In FIG. 4a the arrows indicate how the fluid from the device
with which the filter is being used may flow within the filter, and
more specifically within the filter housing cap 33, pass through
the openings 43 in the filter housing cap 33 and into the additive
gel filter cap 32 where the fluid comes into contact with the
additive gel 34 and then passes back through the openings 43 in the
filter housing cap 33, into the filter housing cap 33 and back to
the device as filtered and conditioned fluid.
[0065] The fluid flowing through the filter housing body 49 will
pass through a filter element 50 which may be fabricated of any
suitable filtering medium and will return the fluid to the device.
The fluid, as shown in FIG. 4a, will also pass into the additive
gel filter cap 32 where the fluid will come into contact with the
additive gel 34 and then return to the filter housing. This
indirect flow of fluid across the additive gel 34 located in the
additive gel filter cap 32 results in the controlled dissolution of
the additive components of the additive gel 34 into the fluid while
maintaining the physical integrity of the additive gel.
[0066] FIG. 5 is a sectional perspective view of one embodiment of
the filter additive gel cap without gel present and FIG. 6 is a
sectional perspective view of one embodiment of the filter housing
cap. The identifying features of the embodiments shown in FIG. 5
and FIG. 6 are similar to those described in FIG. 4, FIG. 4a and
FIG. 4b and are identified by the same labels.
[0067] Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
7, where the additive delivery system 61 includes an additive gel
filter cap which may be an integrated part of a filter housing cap.
In this embodiment, the filter housing cap and filter cap are in
the form of an integrated part that contains the additive gel 78
and connects to the filter body housing (not shown) to form a
filter.
[0068] While FIG. 7 shows one embodiment of the present invention
and FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 show other embodiments, many of the same
features are present all of the figures and where a given feature
is present in more than one embodiment, the descriptions provided
above in regards to the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 also
apply to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 unless otherwise noted.
[0069] The integrated filter gel cap 61 of the present invention
may be a single piece that attaches to a filter body housing (not
shown) just as a conventional filter housing cap would, utilizing
interlocking threads or a similar fastening means. The integrated
filter gel cap 61 of the present invention may also be made up of
two distinct parts, a lid 62 and a body 63 where the lid 62 may be
removed from the body 63 to allow for better access to the annular
space 74 that holds the additive gel 78. The lid 62 may have
internal threading 69 on the inside of its bottom edge 70 used to
connect it to the body 63. The body 63 may have external threading
72 on the outside of its upper edge 71 used to connect the body 63
to the lid 62. The lid 62 and the body 63 may be connected by
placing the threads, 69 and 72, in contact with one another and
spinning the lid 62 to engage the threads into one another.
[0070] The integrated gel filter cap body 63 in FIG. 7 is shown
with external threading 76 along its bottom edge where the filter
housing body (not shown) would have internal threading and the
integrated gel filter cap body 63 would fasten to the filter
housing body (not shown) by spinning the integrated gel filter cap
body 63 so the external threads 76 interface with the internal
threads of the filter housing body (not shown).
[0071] The integrated gel filter cap lid 62 may have a filter media
insert fastening device 67 similar to the media fastening device 18
in FIG. 1 that allows filter media inserts to connect to the
integrated gel filter cap lid 62.
[0072] Similar to the embodiment of the present invention shown in
FIG. 1, the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 7 may
include a bolt head 65 on the crown of the integrated gel filter
cap lid 62.
[0073] The integrated gel filter cap 61 contains the additive gel
78 in the interior annular void space 74 of the integrated gel
filter cap body 63 between the integrated gel filter cap body's
outer wall 79 and its inner wall 75. This annular space 74 can be
adjusted to hold various amounts of additive gel 78 based on the
dimensions of the integrated gel filter cap 61 and specifically the
integrated gel filter cap body 63. The additive gel 78 may be
placed in the integrated gel filter cap's interior annular void
space 74 in the same manners described above in regards to the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The ability to remove the integrated
gel filter cap lid 62 from the integrated gel filter cap body 63
allows for additional options of inserting the additive gel 78.
[0074] The integrated gel filter cap body's interior wall 75 may
have an inward curve that acts as a diverter edge or similar
feature at its upper edge 73 as shown in FIG. 7. This diverter edge
73 acts to affect the flow characteristics present in a filter when
it is fully assembled with the integrated filter gel cap 61.
Specifically, the geometry of the integrated gel filter cap's
body's internal wall 75 and its diverter edge 73 can affect the
amount of contact between the additive gel 78 and the fluid passing
through the filter (not shown) as well as the flow rate, direction
of flow relative to the additive gel 78 and pressure of the fluid
during the contact. The integrated gel filter cap's body's internal
wall 75 may also have one or more openings (not shown) located
along the wall between the interior void space 77 that encloses the
filter media insert (not shown) and the annular space 74 that
contains the additive gel 78. These openings (not shown) may allow
for fluid, when the integrated cap is assembled and used as a
filter, to pass from the interior of the filter cap 77, through the
openings in the integrated gel cap body's interior wall 75 and
contact the additive gel 78 contained in the annular space 74. The
fluid may contact the additive gel 78 at the openings and remain
within the interior of the filter housing 77 or it may pass through
the openings into the annular space 74, contacting the additive gel
78 during this period, and travel up to the interior wall's upper
edge 73, where the fluid then returns to the interior space of the
filter housing 77 and continues to pass through the filter.
[0075] The integrated gel filter cap interior wall openings (not
shown) may be one or more circular holes, and may also be of
various sizes and shapes, including but not limited to circles,
ovals, slits or mixtures thereof and may be arranged symmetrically
or randomly on the integrated gel filter cap's interior wall 75.
The openings may be arranged such that the axis passing through the
center of the openings are perpendicular to the plane of the
interior wall 75. The openings may be also be arranged such that
the axis passing through the center of the openings are at an angle
to the plane of the interior wall 75.
[0076] The flow characteristic of the fluid as it contacts the
additive gel 78 can be controlled and by modifying the orientation,
size, shape, arrangement, location and combinations thereof of the
openings in the integrated gel filter cap body 63 and/or by
modifying the geometry of the integrated gel filter cap's interior
wall 75 and upper edge 73. Modifying one or more of these
parameters modifies the amount of surface area of the additive gel
78 contacted by the fluid passing through the integrated gel filter
cap 61; modifies the flow rate, flow direction, fluid pressure and
other fluid flow characteristics of the fluid passing through the
integrated gel filter cap 61; or combinations thereof. This control
of fluid flow characteristic allows for the additive delivery
systems of the present invention to provide the desired additive
gel component release rate while maintaining additive gel integrity
in a wide variety of applications.
[0077] FIG. 7a is a schematic longitudinal section view through one
form of additive delivery system of the present invention in an
assembled state which may also represent the present invention when
the integrated filter gel cap lid and body are fixed and cannot be
separated. The arrows indicate the flow of the fluid being
conditioned through the system. The filter body housing 81 and the
filter media 82 are also shown. FIG. 7b shows a perspective view of
the present invention. The same labels are used to identify the
various features of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7, 7a and b,
unless otherwise noted.
[0078] FIG. 7a shows a cross section diagram of the present
invention where the integrated gel filter cap lid 62 and the
integrated gel filter cap body 63 are in an assembled state, where
the integrated gel filter cap lid 62 is mounted on crown of
integrated gel filter cap body 63 and the arrows indicate the flow
of the fluid being conditioned through the system. The filter body
housing 81 and filter media 82 are also shown.
[0079] In FIG. 7a the arrows indicate how the fluid from the device
with which the filter is being used may flow within the filter, and
more specifically within the integrated gel filter cap 61, as the
fluid may pass through the filter housing interior 77, pass through
the openings in the integrated gel filter cap's interior wall 75
and/or pass over the upper edge 73 of the interior wall 75, and
into the annular space 74 containing the additive gel 78 where the
fluid comes into contact with the additive gel 78 and then passes
back through the openings in the integrated gel filter cap's
interior wall 75 and/or passes over the upper edge 73 of the
interior wall 75 and back to the filter housing space 77 and
ultimately the connected device as filtered and conditioned
fluid.
[0080] The fluid flowing through the filter housing body 81 will
pass through a filter element 82 which may be fabricated of any
suitable filtering medium and will return the fluid to the device.
The fluid, as shown in FIG. 7a, will also pass into the integrated
gel filter cap's additive gel containing annular space 74 where the
fluid will come into contact with the gel 78 and then return to the
filter housing. This indirect flow of fluid across the additive gel
78 located in the annular space 74 will result in the controlled
dissolution of the additive components of the additive gel 78 into
the fluid while maintaining the physical integrity of the additive
gel. The present invention allows gels of various formulations,
including relatively soft gels that would otherwise release
additive components too quickly, release additive components at
non-uniform rates, completely dissolve before the end of a desired
service cycle, be broken up into gel fragments that would be
carried by the fluid and potentially block device lines and
orifices, or combination thereof to be used more effectively and in
a wider range of applications.
[0081] The identifying features of the embodiments shown in FIG. 7a
are similar to those described in FIG. 7 and are identified by the
same labels.
EXAMPLE
[0082] Into a container of the style shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 7a,
two equally spaced rows of 6 holes in each row, each hole measuring
5 mm in diameter, are drilled into the annular space wall. Into the
annular space is placed a mixture of the following composition:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Composition of Additive Gel Percent by
Weight Component 13.2% Olefin copolymer viscosity modifier 47.8%
diluent mineral oil 2.4% ashless polyisobutylene succinic anhydride
dispersant maleic anhydride styrene 9.6% copolymer, partially
esterified 100.0% TOTAL
[0083] The mixture is heated at 100C for 8 hours to form a gel. The
tilled additive gel filter cap is mounted onto a cartridge-style
filter media insert and this assembly is fit into a cartridge-style
filter housing, thus providing an additive delivery system of the
present invention.
[0084] The assembled filter cartridge and housing is placed on a
dynamometer equipped with a PSA DV6 engine and run for 100 hours.
At the end of the test, oil analysis shows that an amount of
viscosity modifier equivalent to and increase in 0.4 cSt has been
released into the oil compared to a baseline in which a standard
filter with no additive gel present.
[0085] Although only a few embodiments of the present invention
have been described above, it should be appreciated that many
modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention. All such modifications are intended to be
included within the scope of the present invention, which is to be
limited only by the following claims.
* * * * *