Semipermeable baffle fuel filter

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved filter.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a filter having a water removal efficiency similar to that expected of a filter element containing separator, while offering the service life of a baffle type separator.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a filter wherein a decrease of the permeability of the filtering element will not cause a significant increase in the filter differential pressure.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a filter having a full flow bypass in the event of filter element clogging.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement wherein separated liquid contaminants may be used to remove solid particulate contaminants from the filter element.
The above and other objects of the present invention which will become more apparent as the description proceeds are realized by an invention comprising a fuel filter having a first fuel zone, a second fuel zone, and a semipermeable baffle; the baffle having a plurality of overlapping layers of filter media each layer spaced by at least a thickness of one of the layers from any adjacent layers to define a circuitous settling channel.
The channel proceeds from the first fuel zone to the second fuel zone and is open to allow contaminants to flow from the first fuel zone to the second fuel zone without passage through the layers of filter media.
The semipermeable baffle is further operable to allow fuel to flow from the first fuel zone to the second fuel zone by passage through one or more of the layers of filter media such that the filter media preferentially slows contaminants to settle in the channel for movement along the channel.
The baffle is spiral with two opposite ends and the layers are spirally extending flights.
One of the first and second fuel zones is an interior fuel zone disposed within the baffle and the other of the first and second fuel zones is an exterior fuel zone which is annular and disposed around the baffle