Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DOWNWARDLY SWINGING REPLACEABLE AIR
FILTER FOR A VEHICLE CAB
This invention relates to an air filter and
more particularly to an air filter on a vehicle cab
mounted on the underside of the roof extension. The
filter is pivotally supported and latched in a filter
tcay to allow replacement by downwardly swinging the
filter and tray. The position of the filter allows
servicing of the filter from outside of the cab and
permits the complete removal of the filter assembly when
servicing.
Normally cleaning of the filter inside the cab
is inconvenient and removal of the filter element usually
loosens considerable dirt which has accumulated and which
produces an undesirable situation. This tends to delay
servicing of the filter~since the dirt and inconvenience
is avoided. The mounting of the filter on the outside of
the cab provides a convenient and easy way for servicing
the filter and maintains the interior of the cab in a
clean operating condition. Filter servicing can be
accomplished in much less time without requiring a vacuum
or some other means to clean the interior of the cab once
the filter servicing has been accomplished.
U.S. patent 4,002,443, Lorenz, shows a filter
for a vehicle cab and a servicing arrangement.
Essentially, the patent shows a camming device for
placing the filter into a sealing position in the cab.
The Bowman et al patent, U.S. 4,140,047, shows
an externally mounted filter in the roof overhang on the
front of the cab. The filter element must be extracted
from a small door on the side of the cab in order to
service the filter but the dirt in the compartment is not
easily removed from the assembly.
The applicants' invention has provided for
mounting of the filter on the underside of the roof
extension on the side of the vehicle. Positioning of the
filter elements on the side of the vehicle provides for
convenient servicing which can be accomplished from
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standing on the ground alongside the tractor. The
filter tray and filter when unlatched swing downwardly
permitting the removal of the filter and allowing dirt
and dust to fall away from the filter compartment and
providing a relatively clean job, If need be, the filteL
tray can also be detached and removed and the whole
compartment cleaned with a minimum of trouble since the
dirt falls away leaving the compartment in a clean
condition. A new filter element can be readily inserted
in the tray pivoted upward and latched and the filtering
system is again ready for operation.
It is an object of this invention to provide an
air filter on the side of the cab for convenient replace-
ment of the filter element.
It is another object of this invention to
provide an air filter mounted on the sun shade on the
side of the vehicle formed by the roof overhang whereby
the filter element swings downwardly when servicing allow-
ing the dirt to fall away from the filter compartment.
It is a further object of this invention to
provide a cab filter which swings down from the roof
overhang to allow replacement of the filter element in
the filter tray and returning the tray and filter in the
system by swinging the filter tray upwardly and latching
in the operating position.
It is another object of this invention to
provide a sun shade formed by the roof overhang on the
side of the vehicle which forms an inlet passage and a
filter chamber. The filter tray and filter can be
pivoted downwardly and away from the roof overhang
allowing dirt to fall away from the compartment and
leaving the system in a clean operating condition when a
new filter is inserted and latched in place.
The objects of this invention are accomplished
in a vehicle cab having side sun shades formed by the
roof overhang. The roof overhang forms a fresh air inlet
which is covered by the filter element on the underside
of the roof overhang for the length of the cab. ~rhe
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filter is sealed on its underside by the filter tray and
sealed with the inlet passage on its upper side when the
tray is latched in the operating position. A filtec tray
is pivotally mounted in the roof overhang and can be
easily removed completely from the roof overhang if the
filter compartment needs cleaning. The filter tray and
filter can easily be installed and repositioned in the
operating position once the servicing is completed.
Referrinq to the drawings, the prefeered
embodiment of this invention is illustrated.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the roof of the cab
showing the related positions of the filter elements in
the roof overhang.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation view showing the
filter in the downwardly pivoted position for servicing
of the filter element.
Fig. 3 is a cross section view taken along line
III-III of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a cross section view taken along line
IV-IV of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a cross section view taken along line
V-V of Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the filter tray.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation view of Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a view taken on line VIII-VIII of
Fig. 7 showing the underside of the filter tray.
Referring to the drawings, the cab 1 includes a
roof overhang 2 on the left-hand side of the vehicle and
a roof overhang 3 on the right-hand side of the vehicle
providing a sun shade on both sides of the vehicle. Sun
shade 4 is also provided on the front of the vehicle and
a shade 5 on the rear of the vehicle.
Incoming air flows through the filters 6 and 7
through openings in the side of the vehicle cab and rear-
wardly through an air chamber 8. From the air chamber 8it flows through the air conditioning unit and then into
the cab as shown to provide air conditioning. Fig. 5
shows a section view of the incoming air as it passes
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through the filter 6 through the air passage 9 and tne
lateral openings 10 and 11 on the side of the cab into
the air chamber 8. The roof extension 2 extends from the
roof panel 12 to the top of the cab. The roof extension
2 operates as a sun shade on the side of the cab. A tray
13 is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. The grill work 14 is
shown on the underside of the tray generally conforming
to the underside of the roof overhang 2 as viewed in
Fig. 1. The latch 15 selectively latches the tray 13 in
its operating position. The opposite end of the tray is
carried by two pivot pins 16 and 17 which pivotally
support this end of the tray. The total surface of the
grill work 14 is not used to allow passage of air. Only
the grill work 18, as shown in Fig. 6, is used underneath
the filter element which is not shown in this view. The
tray above the grill work 18 receives the filter as shown
in Fig. 5. The filter element 19 bears against the seal-
ing edges 20 and 21 to form a seal in the inlet opening
22. The filter element 19 is also pressed up against the
seal ring 26 around the passage 24 in the air chamber 25.
The tray 13 is pressed upwardly and the latch 15 i5
latched. The surfaces of the seal 26 and the sealing
edges 20 and 21 form a sea~ on the filter element 19.
Fig. 4 shows the notch 27 which carries the
pivot pin 17. The pivot pin 17 can be removed from the
notch 27 by rear and upward movement of the tray 13.
Fig. 3 illustrates the latch 15. The latch
consists essentially of a handle 28 having a pivotal end
29 carrying the belleville washer 30. The washer 30
bears against the latch element 31 and in the latched
position element 31 bears against the edge 32 to carry
the end of the tray and the filter element 13.
The filter operates in the following described
manner.
Referring to Fig. 5, the filter element 19 is
in the operating position in which the sealing edges 20
and 21 bear against the filter element 19 on the under-
side while the seal ring 26 bears against the upper
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surface of the filter element. The filter element is
sealed in this position and the inlet air comes through
the inlet port 22, passage 24 and chamber 9 through the
ports 10 and 11 to the air conditioning system.
When it is desired to remove the filter element
19, the latch 15 is rotated allowing the latch element 3~1
to release the latch and permit the tray 13 to pi~ot
downwardly as shown in Fig. 2. The link 33 holds the
tray in a servicing position as shown in Fig. 2 so the
filter element 19 can be removed from the tray. If the
filter chamber 34 and the tray 13 are relatively clean, a
new filter element 19 can be inserted in the tray 13 and
the tray is pivoted upwardly and relatched in its
operating position by the latch 15. If, however, when
the filter element 19 is removed, the filter chamber and
tray 13 are not clean, the tray 13 can be removed by rear
and upward movement in the notch and a mating slot on the
opposite side of the tray. In this manner, the tray can
be cleaned as well as the filter chamber and a filter
element and tray rinsed out and pivoted upwardly and
latched in position by the latch 15. Pivoting the tray
downwardly and allowing the dirt to fall free from the
filter chamber and the filter tray avoids the necessity
of cleaning in the cab as formerly was required.