Centrifugal oil filter with particle retention

Claim 1

A centrifugal oil filter adapted for use in a fluid system having a source of fluid flow, comprising: a housing defining a first fluid chamber, an inlet port, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the first fluid chamber; a shaft disposed in the housing and extends through the first fluid chamber, a passage is defined in the shaft along a portion of its length and in open communication with the inlet port, and a transverse opening is defined in the shaft to interconnect the passage with the exterior of the shaft; a rotatable bowl having a bottom portion and disposed in the first fluid chamber of the housing and operative to rotate about the hollow shaft, the rotatable bowl defining a second fluid chamber in fluid communication with transverse opening in the shaft, a pair of diametrically opposed nozzles disposed in the bottom portion of the rotatable bowl and operative to communicate fluid from the second fluid chamber to the first fluid chamber to force the rotatable bowl to rotate, and a flow directing member connected to the bottom portion of the rotatable bowl generally above the pair of nozzles to form a particle collection basin on the side of the flow directing member opposite the pair of nozzles, the flow directing member extending radially inward to a position which is spaced from the shaft to define a substantially unobstructed passageway therebetween so that the substantially unobstructed passageway allows substantially unobstructed fluid commuication between the portion of the second chamber above the flow directing member, and the pair of nozzles generally below the flow directing member, said substantially unobstructed passageway being spaced upwardly from the point of connection of the flow directing member to the bottom portion; and a particle retention insert disposed in the particle collection basin in intimate contact with the flow directing member and spaced from the shaft.