Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
236 words
Air filter assembly comprising a housing having a side wall and a pair of opposite end walls cooperating with said side wall, said housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, an annular filter cartridge mounted within said housing between the inlet and outlet openings, said cartridge defining a chamber having a pair of opposite ends, one of said ends being adjacent one end wall of the housing, the other end being adjacent to other end wall of the housing, support means extending across one of said ends of the cartridge, a bridge projecting into said chamber through the other end of the latter, and fastening means attaching the bridge to the support means, said bridge and the end wall of said housing having cooperating releasable retaining means releasable securing the bridge to said other end wall, said bridge including a bowed portion projecting into said chamber, said bowed portion having a pair of legs, said releasable retaining means including detent means on said legs, said detent means engaging a recess in the other end wall of the housing, one of said openings extending through said other end wall, said one opening being defined by a circumferentially extending surface, said recess being defined on said surface, said releasable retaining means further including resilient deflectable arms projecting from each of said legs, and a stop surface on said other end wall for engagement by said arms.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
236 words
Air filter assembly comprising a housing having a side wall and a pair of opposite end walls cooperating with said side wall, said housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, an annular filter cartridge mounted within said housing between the inlet and outlet openings, said cartridge defining a chamber having a pair of opposite ends, one of said ends being adjacent one end wall of the housing, the other end being adjacent to other end wall of the housing, support means extending across one of said ends of the cartridge, a bridge projecting into said chamber through the other end of the latter, and fastening means attaching the bridge to the support means, said bridge and the end wall of said housing having cooperating releasable retaining means releasable securing the bridge to said other end wall, said bridge including a bowed portion projecting into said chamber, said bowed portion having a pair of legs, said releasable retaining means including detent means on said legs, said detent means engaging a recess in the other end wall of the housing, one of said openings extending through said other end wall, said one opening being defined by a circumferentially extending surface, said recess being defined on said surface, said releasable retaining means further including resilient deflectable arms projecting from each of said legs, and a stop surface on said other end wall for engagement by said arms.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
Air filter assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein recess defines a circumferentially extending arm forcing out of said one opening whereby upon deflection of said arms away from the stop surface the bridge may be pushed out of said housing through said one opening.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
Air filter assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said detent means is a ring secured to both of said legs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
Air filter assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a circumferentially extending rib circumscribes said one opening, said rib cooperating with said surface to define said rim on one side of the rib and to define said stop surface on the other side of said rib.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
205 words
Air filter assembly comprising a housing having a side wall and a pair of opposite end walls cooperating with said side wall, said housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, an annular filter cartridge mounted within said housing between the inlet and outlet openings, said cartridge defining a chamber having a pair of opposite ends, one of said ends being adjacent one end wall of the housing, the other end being adjacent to other end wall of the housing, support means extending across one of said ends of the cartridge, a bridge projecting into said chamber through the other end of the latter, and fastening means attaching the bridge to the support means, said bridge and the end wall of said housing having cooperating releasable retaining means releasable securing the bridge to said other end wall, said bridge extending through one of said openings of the housing, said releasable retaining means including a rib about said one opening, and detent means on said bridge engaging said rib, said rib facing away from said cartridge to define an open-ended recess in said one opening facing away from said rib whereby upon release of the retaining means the bridge can be pushed from the housing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
205 words
Air filter assembly comprising a housing having a side wall and a pair of opposite end walls cooperating with said side wall, said housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, an annular filter cartridge mounted within said housing between the inlet and outlet openings, said cartridge defining a chamber having a pair of opposite ends, one of said ends being adjacent one end wall of the housing, the other end being adjacent to other end wall of the housing, support means extending across one of said ends of the cartridge, a bridge projecting into said chamber through the other end of the latter, and fastening means attaching the bridge to the support means, said bridge and the end wall of said housing having cooperating releasable retaining means releasable securing the bridge to said other end wall, said bridge extending through one of said openings of the housing, said releasable retaining means including a rib about said one opening, and detent means on said bridge engaging said rib, said rib facing away from said cartridge to define an open-ended recess in said one opening facing away from said rib whereby upon release of the retaining means the bridge can be pushed from the housing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
Air filter assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said releasable retaining means includes resilient deflectable arms projecting from said bridge engagement with a stop surface defined on said housing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
Air filter assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said stop surface is defined on a side of said rib opposite the side of the rib engaged by said detent means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
Air filter assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said detent means is a ring circumscribing said bridge.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
216 words
Air filter assembly comprising a housing having a side wall and a pair of opposite end walls cooperating with said side wall, said housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, an annular filter cartridge mounted within said housing between the inlet and outlet openings, said cartridge defining a chamber having a pair of opposite ends, one of said ends being adjacent one end wall of the housing, the other end being adjacent to other end wall of the housing, support means extending across one of said ends of the cartridge, a bridge projecting into said chamber through the other end of the latter, and fastening means attaching the bridge to the support means, said bridge and the end wall of said housing having cooperating releasable retaining means releasable securing the bridge to said other end wall, one of said openings extending through said other end wall, said bridge including a portion extending into said one opening, said releasable retaining means releasably fastening said bridge to said one opening whereby upon release of the retaining means the bridge can be pushed from the housing through said one opening, said releasable retaining means further including resilient, deflectable arm means projecting from said bridge, and a stop surface on said housing for engagement by said arm means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
216 words
Air filter assembly comprising a housing having a side wall and a pair of opposite end walls cooperating with said side wall, said housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, an annular filter cartridge mounted within said housing between the inlet and outlet openings, said cartridge defining a chamber having a pair of opposite ends, one of said ends being adjacent one end wall of the housing, the other end being adjacent to other end wall of the housing, support means extending across one of said ends of the cartridge, a bridge projecting into said chamber through the other end of the latter, and fastening means attaching the bridge to the support means, said bridge and the end wall of said housing having cooperating releasable retaining means releasable securing the bridge to said other end wall, one of said openings extending through said other end wall, said bridge including a portion extending into said one opening, said releasable retaining means releasably fastening said bridge to said one opening whereby upon release of the retaining means the bridge can be pushed from the housing through said one opening, said releasable retaining means further including resilient, deflectable arm means projecting from said bridge, and a stop surface on said housing for engagement by said arm means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
Air filter assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein said stop surface circumscribes said one opening.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
Air filter assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein said one opening is defined by a circumferentially extending wall, said releasable retaining means including a recess in said wall engaged by a detent on said bridge.