Air cleaner

Claim 1

An automotive air cleaner, comprising: an inner casing including an upper end wall, a lower end wall, a tubular outer peripheral wall extending between said end walls, and sealing means between each end wall and the peripheral wall; means defining an air outlet opening through the lower end wall; means defining a plurality of openings through the outer peripheral wall for the passage of air into the inner casing; a tubular air cleaning filter element coaxially juxtaposed with the outer peripheral wall and covering said plurality of openings, whereby air entering through said plurality of openings is filtered before it can leave the inner casing via said air outlet opening; an annular outer casing including an upper end wall, a lower end wall and an outer peripheral wall, the outer casing peripherally surrounding the outer peripheral wall of the inner casing; means securing the outer casing to the inner casing to unite the air cleaner; means defining an air inlet opening into the outer casing, the air inlet opening means including a tubular neck extending outwardly from the outer peripheral wall of the outer casing, whereby air may enter the outer casing through the air inlet opening, then pass through the filter element, enter the inner casing, and pass out the air outlet opening; at least part of the air cleaner outer casing, including the neck of the air inlet opening, being constructed of more frangible, less crash-durable material than is the inner casing, so that when the air cleaner is juxtaposed on an automotive carburetor for supplying filtered air thereto, and a vehicular collision is experienced, there is an enhanced likelihood that, if the air cleaner becomes physically involved, the more frangible part will be sacrificially broken and the inner casing preserved intact, lowering the prospect for fuel escaping fRom the carburetor and burning.