Patent Application
20230358152
The present invention relates to an engine oil circulation system, and more specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for maintaining lubrication to an engine of an off-road vehicle.
Off-road vehicles enjoy an enthusiastic following because of their many uses and versatility. As a result, several types of motorsports involve the racing of various types of off-road vehicles. For example, competitions exist that are dedicated to various types of terrain, such as rallies, desert racing, and rock crawling.
During such competitions, off-road vehicles may perform stunts and routinely become airborne (e.g., perform jumps) due to terrain features.
A difficulty often encountered during racing off-road vehicles is that the engines can become oil starved during jumping or tip-over events. As will be appreciated, during normal operation of an engine, an oil pump draws engine oil from a sump at the bottom of the engine and pumps the oil to various working components of the engine. When an off-road vehicle is airborne or upside down, the oil no longer remains pooled at the bottom of the sump, causing the oil pump to run out of oil to pump. Thus, the engine can be left running, often at high rpm, without sufficient lubrication to prevent damage to the working components of the engine. Given that running an engine without oil, even momentarily at low speeds, can cause severe engine damage and lead to costly, time-consuming repairs, there is a desire to prevent engine oil starvation and to maintain sufficient lubrication to various components of the engine during airborne maneuvers and tip over events.
The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments of the present invention to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments and is intended to neither identify critical elements of all embodiments nor delineate the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The principal object of the present invention is therefore directed to an apparatus for an off-road vehicle that keeps the engine lubricated when the vehicle becomes airborne or upside down due to tipping over.
In one aspect, an apparatus and a method of use thereof are disclosed for an off-road vehicle that maintains lubrication to an engine during a bumpy ride, such as when the vehicle is airborne or upside down due to tipping over. The apparatus includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber. A central tube fluidly connects the upper chamber and the lower chamber. One or more vanes are arranged in the interior of the central tube to inhibit oil flow from the lower chamber to the upper chamber when the vehicle is upside down. An inlet hose connector is configured for receiving engine oil from an oil cooler and supplying the engine oil to the lower chamber. An outlet hose connector is configured for conducting the engine oil from the lower chamber to the engine. A bypass hose connector is configured for allowing the engine oil to exit the upper chamber and into the engine.
In an exemplary embodiment, disclosed is an apparatus that includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber; a separator disposed between the upper chamber and the lower chamber; an inlet hose connector for supplying engine oil to the lower chamber; an outlet hose connector for conducting the engine oil from the lower chamber to an engine; and a bypass hose connector for allowing engine oil to exit the upper chamber and into the engine.
In another exemplary embodiment, the disclosed apparatus further includes a fill chamber atop the upper chamber; a base at the bottom of the lower chamber; and a central tube extending from the base, through the separator, and opening into the fill chamber.
In another exemplary embodiment, a fill cap is disposed atop the fill chamber for adding engine oil and removing trapped air within the upper chamber. In another exemplary embodiment, a drain plug is threaded into the bottom of the base for draining oil from the apparatus during periodic maintenance of the vehicle.
In another exemplary embodiment, lower openings disposed in a sidewall of the central tube provide fluid communication between the lower chamber and an interior of the central tube; wherein upper openings disposed in the sidewall of the central tube provide fluid communication between the upper chamber and the interior of the central tube. In another exemplary embodiment, the interior of the central tube provides fluid communication between the upper chamber and the lower chamber. In another exemplary embodiment, one or more vanes are disposed in the interior of the central tube to inhibit oil flow from the lower chamber to the upper chamber.
In another exemplary embodiment, a baffled plate is disposed in the upper chamber to inhibit oil flow from the bottom to the top of the upper chamber during a tip-over of the vehicle.
In another exemplary embodiment, the upper chamber is housed within an upper canister and the lower chamber is housed within a lower canister. In another exemplary embodiment, the upper canister and the lower canister are respectively joined together by an upper flange and a lower flange.
In another exemplary embodiment, the inlet hose connector is configured to be coupled with a hose for delivering low-temperature oil from an oil cooler. In another exemplary embodiment, the outlet hose connector is configured to be coupled with a hose for routing the low-temperature oil to the engine. In another exemplary embodiment, the bypass hose connector is configured to be coupled with a hose for routing the low-temperature oil to the engine during a tip-over of the vehicle.
In an exemplary embodiment, a method is disclosed for lubricating the engine of the off-road vehicle, the method includes forming an upper chamber and a lower chamber disposed on opposite sides of an intervening separator; establishing fluid communication between the lower chamber and the upper chamber by way of a central tube; configuring an inlet hose connector for supplying engine oil to the lower chamber; configuring an outlet hose connector for conducting the engine oil from the lower chamber to an engine; and configuring a bypass hose connector for allowing the engine oil to exit the upper chamber to the engine.
In another exemplary embodiment, establishing fluid communication includes forming lower openings in a sidewall of the central tube to provide fluid communication between the lower chamber and an interior of the central tube; and forming upper openings in the sidewall of the central tube to provide fluid communication between the upper chamber and the interior of the central tube. In another exemplary embodiment, establishing fluid communication includes arranging one or more vanes in the interior of the central tube to inhibit oil flow from the lower chamber to the upper chamber. In another exemplary embodiment, arranging includes angling one or more vanes toward the lower chamber.
In an exemplary embodiment, a method for using the disclosed apparatus comprises mounting an upper chamber within an engine bay of a vehicle; mounting a lower chamber below the upper chamber; coupling an inlet hose connector with a hose for supplying low-temperature oil from an oil cooler; coupling an outlet hose connector with a hose for routing the low-temperature oil to the engine; coupling a bypass hose connector with a hose for routing the low-temperature oil to the engine during a tip-over of the vehicle.
In another exemplary embodiment, the method further comprises opening a fill cap and adding engine oil into the upper chamber and the lower chamber. In another exemplary embodiment, adding engine oil includes threading and tightening a drain plug into the base of the lower chamber.
These and other features of the concepts provided herein may be better understood with reference to the drawings, description, and appended claims
The accompanying figures, which are incorporated herein, form part of the specification and illustrate embodiments of the present invention. Together with the description, the figures further explain the principles of the present invention and enable a person skilled in the relevant arts to make and use the invention.
While the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. The present disclosure should be understood to not be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
Subject matter will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. Subject matter may, however, be embodied in a variety of different forms and, therefore, covered or claimed subject matter is intended to be construed as not being limited to any exemplary embodiments set forth herein; exemplary embodiments are provided merely to be illustrative. Likewise, the reasonably broad scope for claimed or covered subject matter is intended. Among other things, for example, the subject matter may be embodied as methods, devices, components, or systems. The following detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be taken in a limiting sense.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term “embodiments of the present invention” does not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation.
The terminology used herein is to describe particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of embodiments of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising,”, “includes” and/or “including”, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The following detailed description includes the best currently contemplated mode or modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely to illustrate the general principles of the invention since the scope of the invention will be best defined by the allowed claims of any resulting patent.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one of the ordinary skills in the art that the apparatus and methods disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.
In other instances, specific numeric references such as “first tube,” may be made. However, the specific numeric reference should not be interpreted as a literal sequential order but rather interpreted that the “first tube” is different than a “second tube.” Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. The specific details may be varied from and still be contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The term “coupled” is defined as meaning connected either directly to the component or indirectly to the component through another component.
Further, as used herein, the terms “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional tolerance that allows the part or collection of components to function for its intended purpose as described herein.
Off-road vehicles enjoy an enthusiastic following because of their many uses and versatility, such as competitions and racing over various types of terrain. During such competitions, off-road vehicles routinely perform stunts and become airborne due to speeding over terrain features. A difficulty often encountered during racing off-road vehicles is that engines can become oil starved during jumping or tip-over events. When an off-road vehicle is airborne or upside down, engine oil no longer remains pooled at the bottom of an oil sump, causing the engine to be left running, often at high rpm, without sufficient lubrication to prevent damage to the engine.
Given that running an engine without oil, even momentarily at low speeds, can cause severe engine damage and lead to costly, time-consuming repairs, thus, disclosed is an apparatus for lubricating the engine of off-road vehicles. The disclosed apparatus can keep the oil supply to the engine during airborne maneuvers and tip-over events, thus preventing engine oil starvation. The disclosed apparatus may ensure sufficient lubrication in various components of the engine during a bumpy ride where conventional oil supply systems fail.
The oil passed through the engine oil cooler 144, gets cooled, and the low-temperature oil is directed through the hose 152 from the oil cooler 144 to the disclosed apparatus 140. Hose 156 then directs the low-temperature oil from the disclosed apparatus 140 to engine 132 for lubricating the engine.
In general, the disclosed apparatus 140 holds a volume of oil that is suitable for maintaining lubrication to engine 132 when vehicle 100 is airborne or upside down due to tipping over. As further shown in
It is contemplated that in such implementations, hose 160 can be used to maintain a suitable pressure within apparatus 140. It is further contemplated that, in some embodiments, hose 160 serves to direct low-temperature oil from apparatus 140 to engine 132 when vehicle 100, and thus the apparatus is upside down due to a tip-over event.
Turning now, to
As further shown in
Furthermore, a drain plug 198 is threaded into a base disposed at the bottom of the lower canister 168. It is contemplated that drain plug 198 may be removed from base 216 to drain oil from the oil apparatus 140 during periodic maintenance of vehicle 100, such as for an oil change.
With continuing reference to
The outlet hose connector 204 is configured to be coupled with hose 156, as shown in
Turning, now, to
Furthermore, a central tube 224 extends from the base 216, through the separator 220, to the fill chamber 194 atop the apparatus 140. Lower openings 228 disposed in the sidewall of central tube 224 provide fluid communication between the lower chamber 212 and the interior of the central tube 224.
Similarly, upper openings 232 disposed in the sidewall of the central tube 224 provide fluid communication between the upper chamber 208 and the interior of the central tube 224. As such, the interior of the central tube 224 provides fluid communication between the upper chamber 208 and lower chamber 212 of apparatus 140.
It should be borne in mind that while fluid communication between the upper chamber 208 and the lower chamber 212 allows for filling and draining oil from the apparatus 140, as well as allowing for oil to exit through the bypass hose connector 200 when needed, oil should remain pooled in the lower chamber 212 when the vehicle is airborne or upside down due to a tip-over. As such, the flow of oil from lower chamber 212 to upper chamber 208 generally is inhibited. For example, as best shown in
With continuing reference to
It is contemplated that the presence of the oil inlet tube 244 within the interior of the central tube 224 as well as inflowing oil from the oil inlet tube 244 serve to effectively hinder a migration of oil from the lower chamber 212 into the upper chamber 208 when the vehicle 100 is airborne or upside down due to tipping over.
Moreover, in some embodiments, hose 160 may be used to direct low-temperature oil from apparatus 140 to engine 132 when vehicle 100 is upside down due to a tip-over event. For example, when vehicle 100 is upside down, and low-temperature oil migrates from the lower chamber 212 into the upper chamber 208, the oil in the upper chamber 208 may be drawn into engine 132. As such, switching from lower chamber 212 to the upper chamber 208 maintains lubrication of engine 132, thereby preventing oil starvation of engine 132, while vehicle 100 is upside down.
While the engine oil starvation preventer and methods have been described in terms of particular variations and illustrative figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the engine oil starvation preventer is not limited to the variations or figures described. In addition, where methods and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in a certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and that such modifications are in accordance with the variations of the engine oil starvation preventer.
Additionally, certain of the steps may be performed concurrently in a parallel process, when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above. To the extent there are variations of the engine oil starvation preventer, which are within the spirit of the disclosure or equivalent to the engine oil starvation preventer found in the claims, it is the intent that this patent will cover those variations as well. Therefore, the present disclosure is to be understood as not limited by the specific embodiments described herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority from a U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/339,359, filed on May 6, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63339359 | May 2022 | US |
