Oil Filter for a Motor Vehicle Gearbox

Abstract

An oil filter of a transmission for motor vehicles has one filter housing, at least one inlet opening for unfiltered oil, at least one outlet opening for filtered oil. A filter medium is arranged in the oil flow between the at least one inlet opening and the at least one outlet opening. The filter housing is formed from two shells connected with one another, a lower shell and an upper shell, and features a second outlet opening.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . An oil filter particularly suited for a motor vehicle transmission, comprising:
 a housing;   an inlet opening defined in the housing;   a first outlet opening defined in the housing;   a filter medium disposed in the housing in an oil flow path between the inlet opening and the outlet opening;   the housing defined by an upper shell member and a lower shell member connected together around a circumference of the shell members; and   a second outlet opening defined in the housing.   
     
     
         13 . The oil filter as in  claim 12 , wherein the inlet opening is defined in the lower shell, and the first and second outlet openings are defined in the upper shell. 
     
     
         14 . The oil filter as in  claim 13 , further comprising an oil inlet chamber defined by the lower shell for unfiltered oil entering through the inlet opening, and a first filtered oil outlet chamber defined by the upper shell, the first outlet opening defined in the first filtered oil outlet chamber, and a second filtered oil outlet chamber defined by the upper shell, the second outlet opening defined in the second filtered oil outlet chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The oil filter as in  claim 14 , wherein the filter medium is clamped between the oil inlet chamber and the first filtered oil outlet chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The oil filter as in  claim 12 , wherein the upper shell and the lower shell each have a circumferential flange, the upper shell and the lower shell bonded together at the circumferential flanges, and further comprising a bridge flange defined across the oil flow path between the first outlet opening and the second outlet opening, the bridge flange extending transversely between the circumferential flanges. 
     
     
         17 . The oil filter as in  claim 16 , further comprising structure extending between the bridge flange and the upper shell member, the structure defining flow-through openings for oil flowing from the first filtered oil outlet chamber and the second filtered oil outlet chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The oil filter as in  claim 17 , wherein the bridge flange includes an intermediate flange defined by the lower shell member that extends transversely to the circumferential flange of the lower shell member. 
     
     
         19 . The oil filter as in  claim 14 , wherein the housing has a first installation height defined by the oil inlet chamber and the first filtered oil outlet chamber, the housing having a reduced second installation height defined by second filtered oil outlet chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The oil filter as in  claim 19 , wherein the second installation height is reduced by a height of the oil inlet chamber. 
     
     
         21 . The oil filter as in  claim 12 , wherein the first and second outlet opening are defined as spouts that extend from the upper shell member, 
     
     
         22 . The oil filter as in  claim 12 , wherein the first and second outlet opening are configured to mate with a suction side of different respective oil pumps.