The invention relates to an intake filter for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle comprising a dirty air intake area, a filter medium and a clean air pipe, wherein the dirty air intake area is disposed on the underside of the engine hood of the vehicle and is connected thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,490 discloses a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. To supply the intake air for the internal combustion engine, an unfiltered air passage is provided on the engine hood to receive the air flowing in from the front of the vehicle. This unfiltered air passage leads to a filter housing in which is disposed a filter element for filtering the dirty air. The clean, filtered air flows through a filtered air passage disposed on the engine hood side to a transfer unit from where it is guided to the internal combustion engine through a flexible hose. When the engine hood is opened, the flexible hose is separated from the clean air passage. The air filter is mounted to the engine hood and can be replaced as needed. To mount the air filter, a corresponding housing is provided, which can be opened.
One drawback of this device is that the housing of the air filter is a rigid structure. Similarly, the unfiltered air- and filtered air-carrying members are specially configured sheet metal parts that are mounted to the engine hood. They cause a stiffening of the engine hood in an area that should be relatively flexible for safety reasons. In addition, a special housing is required for the air filter element, which adds a not inconsiderable amount of weight to the engine hood.