High capacity oil filter

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are provided for a high capacity oil filter configured to remove contaminants from engine oil flowing within an internal combustion engine. The oil filter comprises a hollow canister having a length and a diameter suitable for housing a large filtration medium. A base gasket forms a fluid-tight seal between the oil filter and the engine. A base plate circulates oil from the engine through the oil filter. An anti-drainback valve prevents oil from draining out of the filter and passages within the engine when the engine is not operating. A key aspect of the present disclosure is that the relatively large dimensions and the configuration of the filtration media provide a large surface area for entrapping contaminants flowing with the engine oil.

1 . A high capacity oil filter for filtering engine oil circulating within an internal combustion engine, comprising:
 a canister comprising a hollow cylindrical body having a length and a diameter;   a base gasket configured to establish a fluid-tight seal between the engine and the oil filter;   a base plate configured allow circulation of engine oil from the engine through the oil filter;   a filter medium configured to entrap contaminants flowing with the engine oil; and   an anti-drainback valve.   
     
     
         2 . The high capacity oil filter of  claim 1 , wherein the canister includes a welded nut configured to facilitate removal of the oil filter from the engine by way of a hand-tool. 
     
     
         3 . The high capacity oil filter of  claim 1 , wherein the base plate comprises of a plurality of holes circumferentially disposed around an outlet, wherein the plurality of holes are configured to allow oil into the canister and the outlet is configured to allow oil to exit the canister. 
     
     
         4 . The high capacity oil filter of  claim 3 , wherein the anti-drainback valve is configured to prevent oil from exiting the oil filter by way of the plurality of holes. 
     
     
         5 . The high capacity oil filter of  claim 1 , further comprising a bypass valve configured to allow oil to bypass the filter medium when the oil is too thick to filter. 
     
     
         6 . The high capacity oil filter of  claim 1 , further comprising a leaf-spring configured to maintain a tight seal between the filter medium and an interior of the canister.