Housing for environmentally friendly filter cartridge

Abstract

A filter system in which a housing and an environmentally friendly filter cartridge are coordinated to provide ease of change of the filter cartridge and reliable operation. The cartridge contains no metal parts and is readily incinerateable. The housing is provided with a number of “universality” features including a changeable bottom which allows the housing to operate as a fuel filter, a lubrication filter, or a hydraulic filter in different applications. The housing and cartridge are configured to provide support for the plastic elements of the cartridge to prevent crushing of the filter under normal and abnormal filter operating conditions. A key system associated with the cartridge and the housing provides assurance that the correct filter is installed for a particular application.

1 - 16 . (canceled)  
     
     
         17 . A filter housing bank comprising a plurality of filter housing, wherein each filter housing comprises in combination: 
 a housing for receiving a filter cartridge which separates an unfiltered region from a filtered region in the housing,    a removable cover on the housing,    the housing having a back which includes mounting features for mounting a plurality of said housings side-by-side in a bank,    the housing having a front in which is formed an inlet port and an outlet port connected to the unfiltered region and filtered region respectively,    the inlet port and the outlet port being vertically displaced from each other on the front of said housing,    tee fittings on the inlet and the outlet ports, each tee fitting being a unitary device having a short trunk and a T-arm in fluid communication with the trunk and having oppositely directed connection ports the trunk being connected to the associated port,    at least some of the tee fittings having a valve movable inside the associated trunk and forming a seal with a cooperating seat in the trunk for shutting off the trunk from the associated T-arm,    the valve bank including tubing connecting the connection ports of the T-arms of adjacent filter housings to connect said filter housings in parallel.    
     
     
         18 . The filter housing bank of  claim 17  including at least two filter housings each requiring a filter of different characteristics, 
 two filter cartridges of said different characteristics, one for each of said housings, and each of the housings and filters including a keying mechanism for associating one of said filter cartridges with the associated housing and preventing installation of said one filter cartridge in the other housing.    
     
     
         19 . The filter housing bank of  claim 18  in which each housing has a threaded upper section for receiving the cover, the cover having a two section rim of approximately the same internal diameter and capable of fitting over the threads on the housing, a first lower portion of the rim being sized to slip over the threads to lead the cover to the upper portion of the rim which is threaded, whereby the lower portion tends to align the cover before the threads engage to prevent cross threading.  
     
     
         20 . The filter housing bank of  claim 18  wherein at least one of the housings includes a plugged filter indicator, the indicator being connected to the housing and having connections for sensing upstream and downstream pressure in the unfiltered and filtered regions respectively.  
     
     
         21 . The filter housing bank of  claim 20  in which the plugged filter indicator further includes: 
 a piston supported by a spring calibrated to a desired pressure differential, the spring driving the piston to a rest position in the normal operating condition, the upstream and downstream pressures being ported to opposite sides of the piston to move the piston from the normal to the plugged filter position upon indication of a pressure condition indicative of a plugged filter,    an indicator button which is spring loaded to an extended position but which has an armature attracted to the magnet of the piston when the piston is in the rest position to prevent exposure of the indicator,    whereby displacement of the piston in response to a plugged filter condition releases the indicator for display.    
     
     
         22 . The filter housing of  claim 21  further including a manual reset for the plugged filter indicator to cause the armature to be reattracted to the magnet in the piston after the plugged filter condition has passed.  
     
     
         23 . The filter housing of  claim 17  wherein the valve in the tee includes a threaded port having a rotateable plug therein, the rotateable plug having a plug member having a first position for closing off the trunk and a second position for connecting the trunk to the T-arm.  
     
     
         24 . The filter housing of  claim 18  wherein the valve in the tee includes a threaded port having a rotateable plug therein, the rotateable plug having a plug member having a first position for closing off the trunk and a second position for connecting the trunk to the T-arm.  
     
     
         25 . The filter housing of  claim 21  wherein the valve in the tee includes a threaded port having a rotateable plug therein, the rotateable plug having a plug member having a first position for closing off the trunk and a second position for connecting the trunk to the T-arm.