Patent Application
20210190015
Motorcycle and powersports riders often drain the fuel from their carburetors. Many riders do this to “winterize” their motorcycles, to keep fuel from sitting in the carburetor throughout the winter. Winterizing a motorcycle by removing fuel prevents the old fuel from becoming “gummy” or causing damage to the carburetor. Although the application described herein is primarily directed to motorcycles, it is apparent that this draining can be performed for other vehicles.
Motorcycle riders, as well as other powersports riders, often drain the fuel from the motorcycle carburetors. As used herein, the word “motorcycle” can be used interchangeably with the more colloquial word “bike”. This draining can be done for a variety of reasons. In colder climates, removal of fuel may be part of a larger “winterization” process, where the bike is prepared to be stored for a period of time. As part of this process, the fuel may be removed from the bike, so that the fuel does not sit in the carburetor for an extended period of time. If the fuel is not removed, the rider runs the risk of the old fuel becoming “gummy” or thickened. This thickened fuel can deposit itself on smaller components within the carburetor, such as fuel jets. As a result, when the rider is ready to use the bike again, the carburetor may not function properly. The rider may then need to do more extensive work, such as deep cleaning the carburetor, before the bike is ready for use.
In addition, fuel may need to be drained from a carburetor in order to perform maintenance. If a rider wants to change fuel jet sizes or perform other carburetor maintenance, draining the fuel is a necessary first step. This is primarily for ease and safety; since fuel is flammable, removing it from the carburetor greatly reduces the risk of a fuel-related accident.
Most motorcycle carburetors are fitted with a drain plug and drain port to be used when draining fuel. Traditionally, these drain plugs are configured to be removed with a wrench or similar tool. However, on many motorcycle engine/carburetor configurations, it can be difficult for a mechanic or rider to keep from spilling fuel onto adjacent vehicle and engine components. This is because once the drain plug is removed, the fuel spills out in a very short period of time (often just a few seconds). As a result, there is not sufficient time to both pull the drain plug out of the way and insert a container to catch the fuel below the drain port.
In addition, the shape of the engine on a motorcycle may hinder the ability of the mechanic or rider to find a container that can be placed, and self-supported, below the drain plug. This means that, in order to catch the draining fuel, the mechanic or rider needs to manually hold a small container directly under the drain port to catch the fuel. However, this often results in fuel being spilled onto engine components, as well as onto other vehicle components, that are below the drain port. This can cause damage to painted finishes on the vehicle, resulting in additional expense for the rider to fix and protect the damaged area. As used herein, the word “vehicle” broadly covers motorcycles, bikes and other equipment that requires a fuel holder of the type described herein.
A carburetor drain valve consistent with the present disclosure, by contrast, allows a mechanic or user to drain fuel from the carburetor in such a way that the amount of fuel spilled is lessened or minimized. In addition, a carburetor drain valve consistent with the present disclosure may eliminate the need to use tools to open the drain plug, meaning that a rider or mechanic is does not have to scramble to place a fuel catching container in place once the drain plug is opened. The carburetor drain plug, as installed and placed when the bike was built, may be removed, and a carburetor drain valve consistent with the present disclosure may be installed in its place. The carburetor drain valve of the present disclosure may be alternately placed in a “closed” or “open” position, to allow for selective draining of fuel from the carburetor.
As shown in
Valve center screw 104 may be substantially hollow. That is, valve center screw 104 may have an opening 111 running the length, or the majority of the length, of valve center screw 104. Opening 111 may be the means by which fuel is drained from the carburetor when the carburetor drain valve 100 is being used to drain fuel. This process is discussed further herein with respect to
Valve body 102 may couple to a carburetor (not pictured in
Valve center screw 104 may have a plug portion 113 located at a top portion thereof, opposite the valve screw handle 106. The plug portion 113 may alternate between an open position and a closed position. When in the closed position, plug portion 113 may provide a seal between the carburetor and the environment; that is, plug portion 113 may prevent the fuel in the carburetor from flowing out. By contrast, when plug portion 113 is in an open position, the seal between the carburetor and the environment may be broken. Plug portion 113 may be open when the valve center screw 104 is in a lowest position. In some examples, the plug portion 113 may seal the carburetor using an O-ring 115, although examples are not so limited. Disposed beneath the O-ring 115 is a circumferential indent 117. The circumferential indent 117 may serve to facilitate flow of fuel between the carburetor and the opening 111. Said differently, the circumferential indent 117 may prevent the plug portion 113 from butting up directly against, or contacting directly, the valve body 102. This may prevent a seal from being created that would impede the flow of fuel when draining occurs.
In addition, when plug portion 113 is in an open position, the opening 111 of valve center screw 104 may intersect with a cross-drilled hole 114. As shown in
Importantly, the ability to selectively open and close the valve center screw 106 permits a user to control the rate at which fuel flows out of the carburetor when draining fuel. If a user wants a slower rate of fuel flow, the user may only open the valve center screw 106 slightly, such that cross-drilled hole 114 partially intersects opening 111. To increase the rate of fuel flow, the user may further open the valve center screw 106, thus increasing the amount of intersection between cross-drilled hole 114 and opening 111.
A drain port 226 may be disposed at a lower portion of carburetor float bowl 222. The drain port 226 may be the location through which fuel, such as fuel 223, is drained when maintenance is performed. As discussed previously, a drain plug may typically be used to seal and close the drain port 226; however, as discussed with respect to
Drain valve 200 may be akin to drain valve 100, discussed with respect to
As discussed with respect to
Valve body 202 may be coupled to carburetor float bowl 220 at drain port 226. As discussed with respect to
Once valve body 202 is coupled to the carburetor float bowl 220 at the drain port 226, a portion of the valve center screw 204 may extend into the carburetor float bowl 220. More particularly, a plug portion 213 of the valve center screw 204 may extend into the carburetor float bowl 220. As discussed with respect to
Valve center screw 204 may have an opening 211 disposed substantially along its length. As discussed with respect to
Importantly, the valve center screw 204 of the present disclosure, as discussed with respect to
In the foregoing detailed description of the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration how examples of the disclosure may be practiced. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the examples of this disclosure, and it is to be understood that other examples may be utilized and that process and/or structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the first digit corresponds to the drawing figure number and the remaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing. Elements shown in the various figures herein can be added, exchanged, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number of additional examples of the present disclosure. In addition, the proportion and relative scale of the elements provided in the figures are intended to illustrate the examples of the present disclosure and should not be taken in a limiting sense.
This application claims priority from Provisional Application No. 62/902,248, filed on Sep. 17, 2019, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62902248 | Sep 2019 | US |
