Patent Application
20170138250
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to coolant of a vehicle and, more particularly, to an apparatus for replacing coolant for a vehicle.
2. Related Prior Art
A vehicle includes an engine, a gearbox and a cooling system for cooling the engine and gearbox. A typical cooling system circulates coolant to remove heat from the engine and the gearbox. Such coolant includes water and coolant additive. The cooling system includes a radiator. The coolant travels past the engine and the gearbox to carry heat away from them by heat exchange. Then, the coolant goes through the radiator where heat exchange takes place between the coolant and ambient air. Integrity of the cooling system is essential for normal and stable operation of the engine and the gearbox. After being constant turned between hot and cool statuses, the coolant eventually deteriorates and evaporates. Moreover, the coolant might corrode the radiator and piping of the cooling system. Hence, it is necessary to replace the used coolant with fresh coolant on a regular basis to ensure the efficiency and integrity of the cooling system.
The radiator includes an inlet in the top and an outlet in the bottom. A cap and a valve are used to close the inlet and the outlet selectively. To empty the radiator of the used coolant, traditionally, the valve is operated to open the outlet to allow the used coolant to fall in a bucket from the radiator via the outlet. However, the used coolant might wet the environment and wiring and parts of the vehicle during the fall.
Moreover, after the used coolant is drained from the radiator, fresh coolant must be filled in the radiator via the inlet. In the filling of the fresh coolant, air is often mixed in the fresh coolant. Such air causes troubles for a pump-motor combination used to circulate the coolant because air is compressible. Hence, the radiator, the engine and the gearbox might suddenly get too hot to operate normally. The engine and the gearbox might accordingly get damaged. In the worst scenario, the vehicle might be burned.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus for replacing coolant in a vehicle via pressure difference.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the apparatus includes a communication unit, a pressure gauge, a flexible tube, a conical plug, a valve and a vacuum producer. The communication unit includes a first port, a second port and a third port in communication with one another. The pressure gauge is connected to the third port. The flexible tube is connected to the first port. The conical plug includes a liquid channel extending throughout the conical plug. The liquid channel is connected to the flexible tube. The valve includes a switch and a pneumatic quick coupling device. The switch is connected to the second port to selectively allow or stop communication of the pneumatic quick coupling device with the second port. The vacuum producer includes a pump and a hollow insert extending from the pump. The hollow insert is adapted for connection to the pneumatic quick coupling device so that the pump is operable to produce vacuum in the valve.
In an alternative aspect, the apparatus includes a communication unit, a pressure gauge, a flexible tube, a conical plug, a valve and a liquid conduction unit. The communication unit includes a first port, a second port and a third port in communication with one another. The pressure gauge is connected to the third port. The flexible tube is connected to the first port. The conical plug includes a liquid channel extending throughout the conical plug. The liquid channel is connected to the flexible tube. The valve includes a switch and a pneumatic quick coupling device. The switch is connected to the second port to selectively allow or stop communication of the pneumatic quick coupling device with the second port. The liquid conduction unit includes a hollow insert adapted for connection to the pneumatic quick coupling device and a flexible tube in communication with the hollow insert.
The apparatus in each of the foregoing aspect is operable to remove used coolant from a radiator without contaminating the environment that would otherwise occur with direct draining.
The apparatus in each of the foregoing aspect is operable to fill fresh coolant in a radiator without mixing air with the fresh coolant or contaminating the environment.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
Referring to
Referring to
The pressure gauge 14 is inserted in the chamber 123. The pressure gauge 14 is accessible by a tool T via the slot 125 of the communication unit 1. The tool T is used to fasten the pressure gauge 14 to the third port 124 of the communication unit 1.
The conical plug 22 includes a liquid channel 221. The liquid channel 221 extends throughout the conical plug 22, from the top to the bottom. The flexible tube 21 includes an end connected to an upper end of the liquid channel 221 and another end connected to the first port 121 of the communication unit 1.
The valve 3 includes a switch 32 and a pneumatic quick coupling device 34. The switch 32 is coaxially connected to the pneumatic quick coupling device 34. The switch 32 is connected to the second port 122 of the communication unit 1 via engagement of threads. The switch 32 is operable to control communication of the pneumatic quick coupling device 34 with the second port 122.
Referring to
Referring to
As described above, the apparatus for replacing coolant according to the preferred embodiment is made. The operation of the apparatus the apparatus for replacing coolant is to be described.
Referring to
Referring to
Then, the switch 32 is operated to open the valve 3 to communicate the flexible tube 54, the valve 3, the communication unit 1, the flexible tube 21, the conical plug 22 and the radiator 6 with one another. There is a sucking force in the radiator 6 due to vacuum in the radiator 6. The fresh coolant enters the radiator 6 substantially through the end of the flexible tube 54 submerged in the fresh coolant, the flexible tube 54, the valve 3, the communication unit 1, the flexible tube 21 and the conical plug 22. No air is mixed with the fresh coolant, and the environment is not contaminated by the fresh coolant. The conical plug 22 is detached from the inlet 62 of the radiator 6 after the radiator 6 is filled with a proper amount of the fresh coolant. Now, the replacement of the used coolant with the fresh coolant is completed.
The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
