Filter unit construction for a filtration assembly

Claim 1

A filtration assembly for filtering fluid media, particularly compressed air, comprising: housing means defining a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a filter unit arranged within said housing means to have fluid media flowing between said inlet and said outlet pass therethrough; said filter unit comprising a plurality of generally cylindrical filter elements each having an upper end and a lower end, said filter elements being joined together with the upper end and lower end of each adjacent filter element juxtaposed to form said filter unit as a generally hollow cylindrical body; seal means mounting said filter unit within said housing so that substantially all fluid media flowing between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet passes through said filter unit; connecting means located at said juxtaposed upper and lower ends of said filter elements operatively mounting said filter elements together; said connecting means including a head cover having a central aperture mounted at the upper end of each filter element and a bottom cover having a central aperture mounted at the lower end of each filter element, with said head covers and bottom covers being positioned between adjacent filter elements to join said filter elements together; said connecting means including a closure for the lower bottom cover and groove passage means formed in each of said head covers and bottom covers, said groove passage means defining a flow path for liquid impurities to drain from said filter elements and to pass between adjacent filter elements.