Evolution history of the first spin on oil filter
As for the car owners, the most frequently contacted spare parts in the car maintenance process must be the oil filter (hereinafter referred to as "engine filter"). The term "engine oil filter" is familiar to both new and old drivers, but despite this, many people do not pay enough attention to engine oil filter because it may seem "inconspicuous". However, do you know that the oil filter (hereinafter referred to as "engine filter") plays an important role in the longer and longer service life of today's engines.
1.The age of inorganic filtration
In the early days, there was no engine filter, which led to a problem: the engine oil would be polluted and gradually lose efficacy after a short time. This is because the engine oil can not only lubricate, but also purify. It will capture debris and other pollutants from worn engine parts, thus reducing engine wear. However, since there is no oil filter, a large number of impurities absorbed by the oil will soon saturate it, thus losing its purification effect, and the lubrication and heat dissipation effects will also decline. Therefore, early cars need to change oil frequently to prevent premature engine wear.
Later, people added a simple filter screen to the oil pump, which was the earliest oil filtering device and extended the oil change cycle to a certain extent.
2. Early mechanical filter
The first real mechanical filter appeared in 1923, which was designed by the inventors Earnest Sweetland and George H. Greenhalgh. They put a cylindrical perforated plate wrapped with multi-layer twill cloth in a casting container, which is the earliest mechanical filter. The container is installed between the oil pump and the engine lubricating pipeline, and an observation glass is arranged on the side of the housing to enable people to see the oil flow in the filter. When the oil flow seems very small, it is necessary to consider replacing the filter element.
The early mechanical filters are of cartridge structure, also known as replaceable type, which means that the elements such as filter element and sealing ring are put into a metal shell. During maintenance, only the elements such as internal filter element and sealing ring are replaced. Some housings are installed on the engine and some are connected to the oil pipeline.
The mechanical filter with this structure has a disadvantage, that is, it is difficult to replace it. It needs to open the shell, drain or suck out the oil, install a new filter element, install a new sealing washer, and then tighten the cover.
3. The advent of rotary mechanical filter
Until 1954, WIX invented the spin on oil filter, which completely overturned the structure of the machine filter and greatly simplified the replacement operation. The spin on mechanical filter is an independent assembly that integrates the metal shell, filter element, sealing ring, valve (check valve, bypass valve), etc. It is only necessary to unscrew the entire assembly and replace it, which makes the routine maintenance of the engine very convenient. Spin on mechanical filter soon became a universal standard, and until today, most models are still in use.
In addition to the structure, the filter material of mechanical filter is also constantly improved, which has experienced the evolution of woven fabric, waste cotton and pleated filter paper, which also laid the foundation for the invention of rotary mechanical filter. Due to the poor filtering performance of the woven fabric initially used, more filter materials need to be filled in order to achieve the filtering effect, so the size of the early mechanical filter is relatively large. With the continuous improvement of filter material performance and processing technology, the filtering effect and service life of mechanical filter are also continuously improved. Accordingly, the volume of mechanical filter is becoming smaller and smaller.
With the continuous improvement of the engine filter, the engine technology also continues to progress. The mechanical filter has brought more space to the engine technology. While continuously improving the service life of the engine, it ensures the application of more precise components. The spin on mechanical filter has played an irreplaceable role. It can be said that this inconspicuous small accessory has also made great contributions to the entire automobile industry.
