US006520902B1

(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 6,520,902 B1

Brown et al. (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 18, 2003

(54) CENTRIFUGE CARTRIDGE FOR 2,745,217 A 5/1956 Gold 618.1.

REMOVING SOOT FROM ENGINE OIL 3,007,629 A 11/1961 Boyland
3,223,315 A 12/1965 Smith
3,228,597 A 1/1966 Walker et al.
(75) Inventors: Gene W. Brown, Kearney, NE (US); 3,273,324 A 9/1966 Jennings
Steven J. Merritt, Kearney, NE (US) 3,335,946 A 8/1967 Putterlik
(73) Assignee: Baldwin Filters, Inc., Kearney, NE 3,403,848 A 10/1968 Windsor et al.
(Us) (List continued on neXt page.)
(*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
patent is extended or adjusted under 35
U.S.C. 154(b) by 138 days. GB 1089355 11/1967
SU 362643 12/1972
(21) Appl. No.: 09/655,676 SU 564884 7/1977
SU 869822 10/1981
(22) Filed: Sep. 6, 2000 WO 83/02406 7/1983
Related US. Application Data
Primary Examiner—David A. Reifsnyder
(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 09/420,161, ?led on (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Oct. 18, 1999, now Pat. No. 6,261,455, and a continuation
in-part of application No. 09/420,162, ?led on Oct. 18, 1999, (57) ABSTRACT
now Pat. No. 6,296,765.
(60) Provisional application No. 60/141,465, ?led on Jun. 29, A centrifuge ?lter for removing soot from engine oil. The
1999, provisional application No. 60/112,231, ?led on Dec. centrifuge ?lter includes a rotor adapted to be rotated inside
15, 1998, and provisional application No. 60/105,135, ?led a centrifuge housing by an electric motor or other means.
on Oct. 21, 1998.
The rotor preferably includes a reusable aluminum support
casing and a disposable plastic cartridge. The plastic car
(51) Int. Cl.7 ......................... .. B01D 21/26; B04B 1/04; tridge includes a trap With partition Walls to prevent Wave
B04B 9/02; B04B 9/06 formation in the rotating liquid contained in the trap. The
cartridge includes an annular inlet through its top end, a
(52) US. Cl. ........................... .. 494/24; 494/43; 494/46;
Winding ?oW path through the cartridge and an outlet at the
494/49; 494/60; 494/62; 494/82; 494/84; bottom enc. The centrifuge housing includes an isolated
210/168; 184/624; 123/196 A sealed rotor chamber. Using the venturi effect, air is evacu
ated from the rotor chamber to provide a partial vacuum to
(58) Field of Search ......................... .. 210/1681, 360.1,
reduce air drag on the rotor. Resilient rubber vibration
210/3801; 123/1921, 196 A; 184/624;
isolators are used to reduce vibrations and engine induced
494/24, 43, 46, 49, 57, 60, 62, 84
shock loads from reaching the rotating element. A side oil
(56) References Cited inlet is provided in the cartridge to receive un?ltered oil at
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS a location offset from the axis of rotation. Oil is feed in
through the top of the centrifuge cartridge and discharged
2,053,856 A 9/1936 Weidenbacker out the bottom. The rotor is carried by bearings on a
2,129,992 A 9/1938 De Mattia stationary central support shaft. Maintenance is performed
2,256,951 A 9/1941 Van Riel through a removable lid on the top end of the rotor. A
2,321,144 A 6/1943 Jones
restriction plug is used to control How into the rotor.
2,335,420 A 11/1943 Jones
2,485,390 A 10/1949 Langmuir
2,647,686 A 8/1953 Drury 38 Claims, 24 Drawing Sheets

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 US 6,520,902 B1
Page 2

US. PATENT DOCUMENTS 4,547,185 10/1985 Hellekant

4,557,831 12/1985 Lindsay et a1.
3,430,853 3/1969 Kirk et a1.
1/1990 Hohmann et a1.
3,432,091 3/1969 BeaZley 4,891,041
3,762,633 10/1973 Ishii 5,085,783 2/1992 Feke et a1.
3,784,092 1/1974 Gibson 5,096,581 3/1992 Purvey
3,791,576 2/1974 BaZil 5,364,335 11/1994 Franzen et a1.
3,879,294 4/1975 Ellis et a1. 5,494,579 2/1996 Robatel et al.
4,106,689 8/1978 KoZulla 5,637,217 6/1997 Herman et a1.
4,142,671 3/1979 Irvin et a1.
5,656,164 8/1997 Vado et a1.
4,150,580 4/1979 Silkebakken et al.
5,707,519 1/1998 Miller et a1.
4,165,032 8/1979 Klingenberg
4,221,323 9/1980 Courtot 5,779,618 7/1998 Onodera et al.
9/1981 BeaZley et a1. 5,785,849 7/1998 Mules
4,288,030
4,492,631 1/1985 Martin 6,017,300 1/2000 Herman
4,498,898 2/1985 Haggett 6,019,717 2/2000 Herman
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 2 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1

19 16

FIG. 2
192

48 51
5s
42 36
175
168
44
34b 20

20

34a 32
34c 26
90 38
76
86 84

72 226
57 59
52
55 232
53 230
51
7o
74 94
98 9O 34d 96
3O
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 5 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1

m2. om? Ft

mmN:

nwmmm

mtE#2wt38
vv0:
Om@Wmm?cmht‘

Now
ml/low mv Nv
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 6 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1

10
232

160
889630

86 941004034d98

71
2

2616 70
FIG.6
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 7 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 8 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 9 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1

nwow
mwoN
mwom
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 10 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1

FIG. 13

a Q
$6 Q 5
$
@ %%@B92% g 23 204a

204a
204b

204b
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 13 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1

220

157

156

222

212
212

224 158
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 14 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 15 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 16 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1
U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 17 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1

FIG. 23

170
\_,

FIG. 24
* é a A 7'
“ |||| /_16
._ /26
“H HI HI A
22

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U.S. Patent Feb. 18,2003 Sheet 18 0f 24 US 6,520,902 B1

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