| 摘要 |
Disposable air cleaner (10, 110, 210, 310) for a variety of machines such as small engine (12). Engine air cleaners are of various sizes and shapes and many use replaceable filter elements which must be stocked in a variety of sizes. Such filter elements may permit air leakage since their seals are subject to misalignment and wear. The invention solves these problems with reusable intake tube (14, 114, 214, 314) mounted on the machine or attachable to a mount on the machine to support the air cleaner. Air leakage is reduced by eliminating all but one seal required to attach the cleaner to the tube. The intake tube (14, 114, 214) has an air permeable portion (14b, 114b) received within the bore of tubular filter element (20, 120, 220) to form the inner support for the air cleaner (10, 110, 210). Cleaner (10) includes a shell (22) spaced from and surrounding element (20), one end cap (24) closing element (20), shell (22) and tube (14) at one end, another end cap (26) closing element (20) and shell (22) at the other end and having an aperture (28) through which tube (14) is inserted, and air intake apertures (36) in one end cap (24, 26). Cleaner (110) includes deflecting blades (160) in the space (123) between shell (122) and element (120) and a removable dust collector cap (154). Cleaner (210, 310) exposes the filter element (220, 320) by eliminating the shell. Alternatively, tube (314) neither includes the air permeable portion nor extends into the filter element (320) but rather a screen (319) affixed to the end thereof extends into filter element (320). The cleaner (10, 110, 210, 310) is attached to tube (14, 114, 214, 314) by a flexible flange (30, 130, 230, 330) extending outwardly from end cap (26, 126, 226, 326). A clamp (32, 132, 232, 332) seals the flange (30, 130, 230, 330) to the tube. |
