US 12,135,000 B2
Fuel filter
Giorgio Girondi, Mantova (IT)
Assigned to UFI FILTERS S.P.A., Porto Mantovano (IT)
Appl. No. 17/285,964
Filed by UFI FILTERS S.P.A., Porto Mantovano (IT)
PCT Filed Oct. 14, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IB2019/058732
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 16, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/079561, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 102018000009624 (IT), filed on Oct. 19, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0340942 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. F02M 37/28 (2019.01); B01D 17/04 (2006.01); B01D 29/21 (2006.01); B01D 29/60 (2006.01); B01D 36/00 (2006.01); F02M 37/34 (2019.01)
CPC F02M 37/28 (2019.01) [B01D 17/045 (2013.01); B01D 29/21 (2013.01); B01D 29/605 (2013.01); B01D 36/005 (2013.01); F02M 37/34 (2019.01); B01D 2201/0415 (2013.01); B01D 2201/347 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel filter (10) comprising:
a casing (20) that has a chamber (26) for collecting water separated from the fuel at a bottom of the casing (20);
a water level sensor (30) that extends into the casing (20) and is provided with an electrical water level contact (33) extending into the collection chamber (26) and an intermediate electrical contact (34) arranged inside the casing (20) and outside the collection chamber (26); and
a water separator element (40) housed in the casing (20), wherein the water separator element (40) comprises:
a filtering element (41, 42) adapted to be crossed by the fuel;
a filtering element support (43, 44) provided with a through opening (444) crossed by the water level sensor (30) so that the electrical water level contact (33) extends into the collection chamber (26); and
a conductive element (50) provided on the filtering element support (43, 44), wherein the conductive element (50) is provided with:
a water level electrode (51) extending into the collection chamber (26); and
a contact electrode (52) electrically connected with the water level electrode (51) and spaced apart therefrom, wherein the contact electrode (52) is in contact with the intermediate electrical contact (34) of the water level sensor (30);
wherein a seal connection is defined between the water level sensor (30) and the through opening (444), wherein the seal connection is axially interposed between the intermediate electrical contact (34) and the electrical water level contact (33) of the water level sensor (30) or between the contact electrode (52) and the water level electrode (51) of the conductive element (50) of the filtering element support (43,44).