BREATHER CANISTER FOR CRANKCASE

Abstract

A breather canister for a crankcase of an engine is provided. The breather canister may comprise: an outer housing and a diffuser. The outer housing may comprise a wall and a floor that cooperate to define an interior chamber, the outer housing comprising an inlet coupled to the floor and defining a first passageway. The diffuser may comprise a stem defining a second passageway, the stem being coupled with the inlet such that the passageway of the inlet and the passageway of the stem are in fluid communication with each other. The wall of the outer housing may define a vent aperture that is in fluid communication with the interior chamber. The diffuser may define an upper aperture and a lower aperture that are each in fluid communication with the passageway of the stem and the interior chamber.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The apparatus described below generally relates to a breather canister for an exhaust port of a crankcase of a piston-type engine. In particular, the breather canister is configured for use with a crankcase of a pneumatic compressor.

BACKGROUND

A compressor includes a piston and a crankshaft that are housed in a crankcase and cooperate to generate pressurized air. When the piston and crankcase operate, exhaust fluid is generated that is exhausted from an exhaust port of the crankcase. The exhaust fluid contains lubricant from the crankcase's lubrication system. A breather canister is mounted on the exhaust port and captures the oil from the exhaust fluid before the remaining exhaust fluid (e.g., air) is introduced into the atmosphere, thereby allowing the compressor to “breathe.”

SUMMARY

The present invention generally provides methods and devices for urinary catheterization, urinary catheter sterilization, and combined data acquisition and deposition.

According to one embodiment, a breather canister may comprise: an outer housing and a diffuser. The outer housing may comprise a wall and a floor that cooperate to define an interior chamber, the outer housing comprising an inlet coupled to the floor and defining a first passageway. The diffuser may comprise a stem defining a second passageway, the stem being coupled with the inlet such that the passageway of the inlet and the passageway of the stem are in fluid communication with each other. The wall of the outer housing may define a vent aperture that is in fluid communication with the interior chamber. The diffuser may define an upper aperture and a lower aperture that are each in fluid communication with the passageway of the stem and the interior chamber. The lower aperture may be more proximate the inlet than the upper aperture. The vent aperture may define a first centerline and the upper aperture may define a second centerline. The vent aperture and the upper aperture may be offset from each other such that the first centerline and the second centerline are not coaxial. Additionally, the stem may define a third centerline and each of the first centerline and the second centerline intersect the third centerline. The wall may be annular shaped and the stem may define a third centerline and the first centerline and the second centerline are radially offset from each other relative to the third centerline. The first centerline and the second centerline may be radially offset from each other by between about 75 degrees and about 115 degrees or may be radially offset from each other by about 90 degrees. The diffuser may further comprise a cap that is coupled with the wall of the housing opposite the floor, and the stem extends between the cap and the floor. The lower aperture may be adjacent the floor.

In another embodiment, a compressor may comprise: a piston and a crankshaft that cooperate to generate pressurized air; a crankcase that houses the piston and the crankshaft; and a breather canister coupled to an exhaust port of the crankshaft. The breather canister may comprise: an outer housing and a diffuser. The outer housing may comprise a wall and a floor that cooperate to define an interior chamber, the outer housing comprising an inlet coupled to the floor and defining a first passageway. The diffuser may comprise a stem defining a second passageway, the stem being coupled with the inlet such that the passageway of the inlet and the passageway of the stem are in fluid communication with each other. The wall of the outer housing may define a vent aperture that is in fluid communication with the interior chamber. The diffuser may define an upper aperture and a lower aperture that are each in fluid communication with the passageway of the stem and the interior chamber. The lower aperture may be more proximate the inlet than the upper aperture. The vent aperture may define a first centerline and the upper aperture may define a second centerline. The vent aperture and the upper aperture may be offset from each other such that the first centerline and the second centerline are not coaxial. Additionally, the stem may define a third centerline and each of the first centerline and the second centerline intersect the third centerline. The wall may be annular shaped and the stem may define a third centerline and the first centerline and the second centerline are radially offset from each other relative to the third centerline. The first centerline and the second centerline may be radially offset from each other by between about 75 degrees and about 115 degrees or may be radially offset from each other by about 90 degrees. The diffuser may further comprise a cap that is coupled with the wall of the housing opposite the floor, and the stem extends between the cap and the floor. The lower aperture may be adjacent the floor.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various embodiments will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1A is a front isometric view depicting a compressor and a breather canister in association with a crankcase of the compressor, in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 1B is a rear isometric view depicting the compressor and the breather canister of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is an upper isometric view depicting the breather canister of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIG. 3 is a lower isometric view depicting the breather canister of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view depicting the breather canister of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view depicting a diffuser of the breather canister of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIG. 6 is an upper plan view depicting a housing of the breather canister of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIG. 7 is a section view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a section view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a section view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a section view taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 2.

The above-mentioned and other features of the inventions disclosed herein are described below with reference to the drawings of the preferred embodiments. The illustrated embodiments are intended to illustrate, but not to limit the inventions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

In the following detailed description for purposes of explanation and not limitation, exemplary embodiments disclosing specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from the specific details disclosed herein. In other instances, detailed description of well-known devices and methods may be omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention.

Embodiments are hereinafter described in detail in connection with the views and examples of FIGS. 1-10, wherein like numbers indicate the same or corresponding elements throughout the views. A compressor 10 is generally depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B and is shown to include a crankcase 12 having a breather canister 14 coupled to an exhaust port (not shown) of the crankcase 12. The crankcase 12 can house a piston (not shown) and a crankshaft (not shown) that cooperate to facilitate the generation of pressurized air (or other fluid) for delivery to an associated pneumatic device (e.g., a tool, a storage container, or a tire). During operation, the piston can generate exhaust fluid which is exhausted through the breather canister 14. The exhaust fluid can include airborne lubricant (e.g., from piston blow-by gas). The breather canister 14 can be configured to separate and collect the airborne lubricant from the exhaust fluid and reintroduce the lubricant back into the crankcase 12, as will be described in further detail below.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, the breather canister 14 can include an outer housing 16 and a diffuser 18 (FIG. 4). The outer housing 16 can include a floor 20 (FIG. 3) and a wall 22 that extends from the floor 20. In one embodiment, the wall 22 can be substantially annular shaped such that the breather canister is substantially cylindrical. However, the wall 22 can be any of a variety of other suitable shapes, such as square, rectangular, or ovular, for example. The floor 20 and the wall 22 can cooperate to define an interior chamber 24 (FIG. 4). The wall 22 can define a pair of vent apertures 26 that are in fluid communication with the interior chamber 24. An inlet 28 (FIG. 3) can be coupled with the floor 20 and can define a passageway 30 (FIG. 3) that extends through to the interior chamber 24. The inlet 28 can be fluidly coupled with the crankcase 12 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) to facilitate the introduction of exhaust fluid into the breather canister 14. In one embodiment, the inlet 28 can be threaded (not shown) to facilitate releasable coupling with the crankcase 12. In other embodiments, the inlet 28 may include an o-ring seal (not shown) to seal off the threads going into 12 crankcase. In other embodiments, the inlet 28 can be provided with any of a variety of suitable alternative releasable coupling arrangements, such as a bayonet connection for example.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the diffuser 18 can comprise a cap 32 and a stem 34 that extends from the cap 32. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the stem 34 can define a passageway 36. The stem 34 can also define a pair of upper apertures 38 (one shown in FIG. 4 and one shown in FIG. 5) and a pair of lower apertures 40 (one shown in FIG. 4 and one shown in FIG. 5). Each of the upper apertures 38 and lower apertures 40 can be in fluid communication with the passageway 36. The stem 34 can include a tip portion 42 that includes a pair of flange members 44.

The diffuser 18 can be coupled with the outer housing 16 such that the cap 32 overlies the wall 22 of the outer housing 16, and the stem 34 extends between floor 20 and the cap 32. In one embodiment, the cap 32 can be ultrasonically welded to the wall 22 such that the breather canister 14 is a self-contained unit. However, the diffuser 18 can be coupled with the outer housing 16 using any of a variety of other releasable or permanent attachment methods.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the floor 20 of the outer housing 16 can define a recess 46 having a pair of keyed areas 48. When the diffuser 18 is coupled with the outer housing 16, the tip portion 42 can extend into the recess 46 such that the stem 34 is coupled with the inlet 28 and the passageways 30, 36 are in fluid communication with each other. The upper and lower apertures 38, 40 can accordingly be in fluid communication with each of the interior chamber 24 and the passageways 30, 36. The flange members 44 of the tip portion 42 of the stem 34 (FIGS. 4 and 5) can be disposed within the keyed areas 48 of the recess 46. The flange members 44 and the keyed areas 48 can accordingly interact to ensure a secure and consistent fit between the floor 20 and the stem 34 during assembly of the diffuser 18.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the upper apertures 38 can be disposed adjacent to the cap 32 and the lower apertures 40 can be disposed adjacent to the floor 20 such that the lower apertures 40 are more proximate to the floor 20 than the upper apertures 38. The upper apertures 38 can define respective centerlines C1. The upper apertures 38 are shown to be substantially aligned with each other such that the centerlines C1 are coaxial, but in some alternative arrangements the upper apertures 38 can be offset relative to each other such that the respective centerlines C1 are not coaxial (e.g., angled with respect to each other and/or non-intersecting). The lower apertures 40 can define respective centerlines C2. The lower apertures 40 are shown to be substantially aligned with each other such that the centerlines C2 are coaxial, but in some alternative arrangements, the lower apertures 40 can be offset relative to each other such that the respective centerlines C2 are not coaxial (e.g., angled with respect to each other and/or non-intersecting).

Referring now to FIG. 8, the vent apertures 26 can be disposed on an upper portion of the outer housing 16 such that the vent apertures 26 are more proximate the cap 32 than the floor 20. The vent apertures 26 can define respective centerlines C3. The vent apertures 26 are shown to be substantially aligned with each other such that the centerlines C3 are coaxial, but in some alternative arrangements, the vent apertures 26 can be provided at other locations and/or different heights along the wall 22 such that the respective centerlines C3 are not coaxial (e.g., angled with respect to each other and/or non-intersecting).

Referring now to FIG. 9, each of the vent apertures 26 can be can be radially offset from each of the upper apertures 38 such that the centerlines C2 and C3 are not coaxial. In one embodiment, the centerlines C2 and C3 can be radially offset from each other by between about 75 degrees and about 115 degrees and preferably by about 90 degrees. The upper apertures 38 and the vent apertures 26 can define a fluid path (P in FIG. 9) along the interior chamber 24 and between the upper aperture 38 and the vent aperture 26. The fluid path P can be a tortuous path. It is to be appreciated that a path described herein as being tortuous can be understood to mean that the path is defined by a pair of apertures on opposing ends of the path that are spaced from each other and that the path changes direction at least once between the apertures. It is also to be appreciated that other (non-annular) shapes for the breather canister 14 are contemplated such that a vent aperture and upper aperture might be offset relative to some other reference (i.e., non-radially).

The manner in which the breather canister 14 collects oil from the exhaust fluid from the crankcase 12 will now be discussed. During operation of the compressor 10, exhaust fluid is introduced into the inlet 28 of the breather canister 14. The exhaust fluid flows through the passageway 30 of the inlet 28, through the passageway 36 of the stem 34, through the upper aperture(s) 38, and is exhausted out of the vent aperture(s) 26 to the atmosphere. Because the upper apertures 38 and the vent apertures 26 are offset from each other, the exhaust fluid is routed along a tortuous path between the upper apertures 38 and to the vent apertures 26. This tortuous path creates turbulence, which causes the oil in the exhaust fluid to collect in the interior chamber 24 (e.g., gather along some or all of the respective surfaces of the floor 20, the wall 22, the cap 32, and the stem 34 that define the interior chamber 24). When the compressor 10 is turned off and the exhaust fluid is no longer flowing through the breather canister 14, the oil collected in the interior chamber 24 can be drawn to the floor 20 (e.g., due to gravity). As the oil collects on the floor 20, the oil can flow through the lower aperture(s) 40, through the passageway 30 of the inlet 28 and back to the crankcase 12 (see FIG. 10). In one embodiment, the floor 20 can be slightly angled downwardly towards the stem 34 to encourage the oil to flow towards the lower apertures 40.

It is to be appreciated that although two vent apertures 26, two upper apertures 38, and two lower apertures 40 are shown in the figures, any quantity of each of the vent apertures 26, the upper apertures 38, and the lower apertures 40 can be provided (e.g., one or more than two). It is also to be appreciated that although the breather canister 14 is shown and described for use with a crankcase (e.g., 12) of a compressor (e.g., 10), the breather canister 14 can be used for any of a variety of other piston type engine arrangements (e.g., in a vehicle).

The foregoing description of embodiments and examples has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to the forms described. Numerous modifications are possible in light of the above teachings. Some of those modifications have been discussed and others will be understood by those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described for illustration of various embodiments. The scope is, of course, not limited to the examples or embodiments set forth herein, but can be employed in any number of applications and equivalent devices by those of ordinary skill in the art. Rather, it is hereby intended that the scope be defined by the claims appended hereto. Also, for any methods claimed and/or described, regardless of whether the method is described in conjunction with a flow diagram, it should be understood that unless otherwise specified or required by context, any explicit or implicit ordering of steps performed in the execution of a method does not imply that those steps must be performed in the order presented and may be performed in a different order or in parallel.

Claims

1. A breather canister comprising: an outer housing comprising a wall and a floor that cooperate to define an interior chamber, the outer housing comprising an inlet coupled to the floor and defining a passageway; anda diffuser comprising a stem defining a passageway, the stem being coupled with the inlet such that the passageway of the inlet and the passageway of the stem are in fluid communication with each other, wherein: the wall of the outer housing defines a vent aperture that is in fluid communication with the interior chamber;the diffuser defines an upper aperture and a lower aperture that are each in fluid communication with the passageway of the stem and the interior chamber;the lower aperture is more proximate the inlet than the upper aperture;the vent aperture defines a first centerline;the upper aperture defines a second centerline; andthe vent aperture and the upper aperture are offset from each other such that the first centerline and the second centerline are not coaxial.

2. The breather canister of claim 1, wherein the stem defines a third centerline and each of the first centerline and the second centerline intersect the third centerline.

3. The breather canister of claim 1, wherein the wall is annular shaped.

4. The breather canister of claim 3, wherein the stem defines a third centerline and the first centerline and the second centerline are radially offset from each other relative to the third centerline.

5. The breather canister of claim 4, wherein the first centerline and the second centerline are radially offset from each other by between about 75 degrees and about 115 degrees.

6. The breather canister of claim 5, wherein the first centerline and the second centerline are radially offset from each other by about 90 degrees.

7. The breather canister of claim 1, wherein the diffuser further comprises a cap that is coupled with the wall of the outer housing opposite the floor, and the stem extends between the cap and the floor.

8. The breather canister of claim 1, wherein the lower aperture is adjacent the floor.

9. A breather canister comprising: an outer housing comprising a wall and a floor that cooperate to define an interior chamber, the outer housing comprising an inlet coupled to the floor and defining a first passageway; anda diffuser comprising a stem defining a second passageway, the stem being coupled with the inlet such that the first passageway of the inlet and the second passageway of the stem are in fluid communication with each other, the diffuser further comprising a cap that is coupled with the wall of the outer housing opposite the floor, and the stem extends between the cap and the floor, wherein: the wall of the outer housing defines a vent aperture that is in fluid communication with the interior chamber;the diffuser defines an upper aperture and a lower aperture that are each in fluid communication with the second passageway of the stem and the interior chamber;the lower aperture is more proximate the inlet than the upper aperture;the vent aperture defines a first centerline;the upper aperture defines a second centerline;the vent aperture and the upper aperture are offset from each other such that the first centerline and the second centerline are not coaxial; andthe stem defines a third centerline and each of the first centerline and the second centerline intersect the third centerline.

10. The breather canister of claim 9, wherein the wall is annular shaped and the stem defines a third centerline and the first centerline and the second centerline are radially offset from each other relative to the third centerline.

11. The breather canister of claim 10, wherein the first centerline and the second centerline are radially offset from each other by between about 75 degrees and about 115 degrees.

12. The breather canister of claim 9, wherein the lower aperture is adjacent the floor.

13. A compressor comprising: a piston and a crankshaft that cooperate to generate pressurized air;a crankcase that houses the piston and the crankshaft; anda breather canister coupled to an exhaust port of the crankshaft, the breather canister comprising: an outer housing comprising a wall and a floor that cooperate to define an interior chamber, the outer housing comprising an inlet coupled to the floor and defining a first passageway; anda diffuser comprising a stem defining a second passageway, the stem being coupled with the inlet such that the first passageway of the inlet and the second passageway of the stem are in fluid communication with each other, wherein: the wall of the outer housing defines a vent aperture that is in fluid communication with the interior chamber;the diffuser defines an upper aperture and a lower aperture that are each in fluid communication with the second passageway of the stem and the interior chamber;the lower aperture is more proximate the inlet than the upper aperture;the vent aperture defines a first centerline;the upper aperture defines a second centerline; andthe vent aperture and the upper aperture are offset from each other such that the first centerline and the second centerline are not coaxial.

14. The compressor of claim 13, wherein the stem defines a third centerline and each of the first centerline and the second centerline intersect the third centerline.

15. The breather canister of claim 13, wherein the wall is annular shaped.

16. The breather canister of claim 15, wherein the stem defines a third centerline and the first centerline and the second centerline are radially offset from each other relative to the third centerline.

17. The breather canister of claim 16, wherein the first centerline and the second centerline are radially offset from each other by between about 75 degrees and about 115 degrees.

18. The breather canister of claim 17, wherein the first centerline and the second centerline are radially offset from each other by about 90 degrees.

19. The breather canister of claim 13, wherein the diffuser further comprises a cap that is coupled with the wall of the outer housing opposite the floor, and the stem extends between the cap and the floor.

20. The breather canister of claim 13, wherein the lower aperture is adjacent the floor.