Air cleaner arrangement

Claim 1

An engine air filter container for use with an air filter element comprising, a cup-shaped casing member constructed to contain said air filter element, said casing having an open top, a bottom and upstanding from the periphery of said bottom a circumferential side terminating in an upper end first connection portion, a cover member having an outer edge second connection portion, said cover member being disposed to cover said open top and said members being detachably connected by said first and second connection portions, said connected casing and cover members forming an enclosure having air inlet and outlet means, one of said first and second connection portions having a vertically disposed first part of given radial width and connected thereto a vertically disposed second part with an enlarged lip of given maximum width radially greater than said given radial width, said one connection portion including a first horizontally disposed latching shoulder extending from said lip at its maximum width to said first part, the other of said first and second connection portions for the other of said members being resilient and including means forming a circumferentially extending vertically disposed recess including a first recess part having radially a maximum width recess approximating said given maximum width and vertically extending therefrom a second recess part having a recess width radially less than said given maximum width, said recess forming means including a second horizontally disposed latching shoulder extending from said first recess part at its maximum width to said second recess part to form a side thereof and being locked with said first shoulder by said lip being in said first recess part to cause said casing and cover members to be detachably connected as aforesaid, and manually operable flange means arcuately extending radially outwardly of the said other connection portion for spreading the width of said recess at said second shoulder to allow said enlarged lip to pass through said second recess part for locking and unlocking of said first and second connecting portions to effect connecting and disconnecting of said cover and casing members, said recess forming means including at least one aperture in its outside periphery for more readily allowing at least said second recess part to be spread by manual manipulation of said flange means, said at least one aperture being adjacent and about at least as long as said second shoulder.