Filter element, air cleaner, and methods

Abstract

A filter element is provided according to the present invention. The filter element includes: (a) a media pack arrangement having first and second opposite ends, said media pack arrangement comprising: (i) an inner liner defining a safety central open volume; (ii) a multilayer laminate media construction circumscribing the inner liner and having a first end and a second end, wherein the multilayer laminate media construction comprises: (A) a filtration media layer arranged in a waved configuration, wherein the filtration media layer has a first side and a second side; (B) a first fibrous support layer adjacent the first side of the filtration media layer arranged in the waved configuration; (b) a first end cap at the first end of the media pack arrangement; said first end cap having a central aperture in flow communication with said safety central open volume; and (c) a second end cap at the second end of the media pack arrangement; said second end cap being a closed end cap. An air cleaner is provided, and a media pack is provided.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A filter pack comprising:
 (a) filter media provided in a pleated configuration comprising alternating first and second pleat tips, and pleat faces extending between the alternating first and second pleat tips; and   (b) multilayer laminate media construction extending between, and forming, the alternating first and second pleat tips, the multilayer laminate media construction comprising:   a filtration media layer arranged in a waved configuration, wherein the filtration media has a first side and a second side;
 (ii) a first fibrous support layer adjacent the first side of the filtration media layer; 
 (iii) a first cover layer having a first side and a second side and wherein the first cover layer first side faces the first fibrous support layer; and 
 (iv) a first fibrous outer layer adjacent the second side of the first cover layer. 
   
     
     
         33 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the pleated configuration is arranged so that the pleated Configuration resists deformation into a non-pleated configuration. 
     
     
         34 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the pleated configuration is heat set. 
     
     
         35 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the pleated configuration is held in place by at least one pleat spacer. 
     
     
         36 . A filter media pack according to  claim 35 , wherein the pleat spacer comprises a hot melt bead, roving, corrugated member, or comb member. 
     
     
         37 . A filter media pack according to  claim 35 , wherein the pleat spacer comprises an injection molded member that holds the pleated configuration. 
     
     
         38 . A filter media pack according to  claim 37 , wherein the multilayer laminate media is provided in a closed loop configuration, and the injection molded member is molded into the pleat faces of the multilayer laminate media. 
     
     
         39 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the pleated configuration is held in place by ribbon/string pleating. 
     
     
         40 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein waves of the filtration media arranged in a waved configuration extend in a direction parallel to the direction of the first and second pleat tips. 
     
     
         41 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the multilayer laminate media construction has a frazier air permeability in a range of about 75 ft/min to about 200 ft/min when measured clean and non-oiled at 0.5 inch water color column restriction according to ASTM D737. 
     
     
         42 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the filtration media arranged in a waved configuration has at least 1 wave per linear inch. 
     
     
         43 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the filtration media arranged in a waved configuration has about 2 to about 6 waves per linear inch. 
     
     
         44 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the distance from the first pleat tip to the second pleat tip comprising a pleat depth, and at least 20% of the pleat depth comprises a fiber depth formed by the first fibrous outer layer. 
     
     
         45 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , further comprising a second fibrous support layer adjacent the second side of the filtration media layer. 
     
     
         46 . A filter media pack according to  claim 45 , further comprising a second cover layer having a first side and a second side and wherein the second cover layer first side faces the second fibrous support layer, and a second fibrous outer layer adjacent the second side of the second cover layer 
     
     
         47 . A filter media pack according to  claim 46 , wherein a distance from the first pleat tip to the second pleat tip comprises a pleat depth, and at least 20% of the pleat depth comprises a first fiber depth formed by the first fibrous outer layer, and at least 20% of the pleat depth comprises a second fiber depth formed by the second fibrous outer layer. 
     
     
         48 . A filter media pack according to  claim 47 , wherein the first fibrous outer layer within the fibrous depth comprises fiber bonded to each other, and the second fibrous outer layer within the fibrous depth comprises fiber bonded to each other. 
     
     
         49 . A filter media pack according to  claim 48 , wherein the fibers bonded to each other are heat bonded. 
     
     
         50 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the filter media provided in the pleated configuration is arranged in a panel configuration. 
     
     
         51 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the filter media provided in the pleated configuration is arranged in a closed loop. 
     
     
         52 . A filter media pack according to  claim 51 , wherein the closed loop comprises a cylindrical configuration or a conical configuration. 
     
     
         53 . A filter media pack according to  claim 51 , wherein the multilayer laminate media construction comprises a weld between overlapping portions of the multilayer media construction. 
     
     
         54 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the filter pack exhibits less than 0.008 grams/CFM tested with ISO Fine dust per ISO 12103-A2, tested per IOS 5011 test method, and tested to 50 inches water terminal restriction at 50-600 feet per minutes media face velocity. 
     
     
         55 . A filter media pack according to  claim 32 , wherein the multilayer media construction is provided in a closed loop configuration having a first end and a second end, and the first end of the closed loop configuration comprises a first end cap having a central aperture, and the second end of the closed loop configuration comprises a second end cap being a closed end cap. 
     
     
         56 - 60 . (canceled)