Patent Application
20110192843
The present disclosure relates to engine having a remote oil fill tube, and more particularly to a single piece remote oil fill tube that allows oil to be added to the engine.
Many modern internal combustion engines are mounted in vehicles in locations that attempt to minimize the amount of space required for a vehicle's engine bay. Modern internal combustion engines contain additional emissions equipment that requires additional space within the vehicle's engine bay, further limiting access to portions of the engine. Additionally, in some vehicles, particularly large trucks, the engine may be large, making it difficult for a person to reach many areas of the engine. For example, in some large trucks having diesel engines, an oil fill port of the engine may be located in an area that is either difficult to reach, due to the physical size of the engine, or difficult to access, due to engine components being in close proximity to each other and the vehicle. As space in the vehicle engine bay is reduced, it may become more difficult to easily access portions of the engine. Thus, adding oil to a vehicle may often be a difficult task that may spill oil, or may slow the process.
According to one embodiment, a remote oil fill assembly for an internal combustion engine that has an engine oil fill point is provided. The remote oil fill assembly comprises a main body portion, an engine oil port end, and an oil fill end. The engine oil port end is disposed at a first end of the main body portion. The oil port end is fixedly attached to the engine oil fill point. The oil fill end is disposed at a second end of the main body portion. A flow path forms between the engine oil port end and the oil fill end to deliver fluid to the engine oil fill point.
According to another embodiment, a remote oil fill assembly for an internal combustion engine having an engine oil fill point is provided. The remote oil fill assembly comprises a main body portion, an over-molded engine oil port end, an oil fill end, and a removable cap. The over-molded engine oil port end is disposed at a first end of the main body portion. The over-molded engine oil port end forms a seal with an engine oil fill point. The oil fill end is disposed at a second end of the main body portion. The removable oil fill cap removably connects to the oil fill end. A flow path forms between the engine oil port end and the oil fill end to deliver fluid to the engine oil fill point.
According to a further embodiment, a remote oil fill assembly for an internal combustion engine having an engine oil fill point is provided. The remote oil fill assembly comprises a main body portion, an over-molded engine oil port end, an oil fill end, a bellows region, and a removable oil fill cap. The over-molded engine oil port end is disposed at a first end of the main body portion. The over-molded engine oil port end forms a seal with an engine oil fill point. The oil fill end is disposed at a second end of the main body portion. The bellows region provides a flexible area on the remote oil fill assembly. The bellows region is disposed between the over-molded engine oil port end and the oil fill end of the remote oil fill assembly. The removable oil fill cap removably connects to the oil fill end. A flow path forms between the engine oil port end and the oil fill end to deliver fluid to the engine oil fill point.
The engine oil port end 14 of the engine oil fill assembly 10 connects to an oil fill point located on the engine. The engine oil port end 14 forms a sealing surface with the oil fill point of the engine. The sealing surface reduces or prevents oil from leaking between the engine oil fill assembly 10 and the engine's oil fill point. It is contemplated that the engine's oil fill point is located on a valve cover of the engine.
The oil fill end 16 of the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 is adapted to receive a removable fill cap 18. The removable fill cap 18 prevents oil from flowing out of the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 when the engine is operating. The removable fill cap 18 additionally prevents debris, such as dirt, dust, or other fluids, from entering the remote engine oil fill assembly 10, from which the debris could enter the engine and cause damage to the engine. The removable fill cap 18 may be connected to the oil fill end 16 of the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 in a variety of manners, such as, for example, via threads, a press fit, a friction fit. Thus, the oil fill end 16 may have internal threads adapted to interact with threads on the removable fill cap 18.
The remote engine oil fill assembly 10 additionally has a flexible bellows region 20 disposed between the engine oil port end 14 and the oil fill end 16. The flexible bellows region 20 forms a bellows that allows the body portion 12 to be flexed for routing the engine oil fill assembly 10. Thus, the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 may be shaped via the bellows region 20 such that the engine oil fill assembly 10 may be used with a variety of engines, in a variety of vehicles, or with a variety of vehicle and engine configurations. For example, certain engine applications may have different accessories, such as air compressors, or hydraulic pumps that vary from one vehicle to the next vehicle, thus the flexible bellows region 20 allows the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 to be routed around, or through, these accessories such that the user may readily access the oil fill end 16 of the remote engine oil fill assembly 10.
A mounting structure 22 is additionally disposed on a periphery of the body portion 12 of the remote engine oil fill assembly 10. The mounting structure 22 forms a through hole 24 disposed to receive a fastener, such as a bolt, screw, rivet, or the like, to secure the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 to the engine or the vehicle. The mounting structure 22 additionally stabilizes the remote engine oil fill assembly 10.
The remote engine oil fill assembly 10 is a single component made via blow-molding and over-molding processes. The use of over-molding allows materials with different hardness values to be used in various portions of the remote engine oil fill assembly 10. For example, the main body 12 may be molded form somewhat rigid, oil resistant, and heat resistant material, such polypropylene, although other polymeric materials may be used. The engine oil port end 14 of the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 may be over-molded with a material that is softer than that used for the main body 12. The softer material used for the engine oil port end 14 allows a better seal to form between the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 and the oil fill point of the engine. Similarly, the oil fill end 16 of the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 may additionally be over-molded with a material softer than that used for the main body 12. The oil fill end 16 additionally is provided with features to allow the removable fill cap 18 to be removably mounted to the oil fill end 16. For example, the oil fill end 16 may be provided with threads to attach the removable fill cap 18, the oil fill end 16 may have a taper to form a friction fit with the removable fill cap 18, or the oil fill cap 18 may be sized such that an interference fit is formed with the removable fill cap 18.
The bellows region 20 provides flexibility to the remote engine oil fill assembly 10. The bellows region 20 has a number of The bellows region 20 may be sized such that flexibility of the bellows region 20 may be controlled. For example, the geometry of the bellows regions 20 may include a variable number of annular protrusions 20a that form the bellows region 20 by projecting outwardly from the main body 12. Axial spacing between annular protrusions 20a, axial width of the annular protrusions 20a, and lateral protruding extent of the annular protrusions 20a may all be varied to provide control of flexibility if the bellows region 20. Thus, it is contemplated in certain embodiments that the bellows region 20 provides a great deal of flexibility, while in other embodiments the bellows region 20 offers only limited flexibility.
The use of over-molding and blow-molding allow the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 to be made with a single component comprising the main body 12, the engine oil port end 14 and the oil fill end 16. The use of a single component reduces the likelihood of a leak forming in the remoter engine oil fill assembly 10, as no joints are required as would be needed if multiple components are used.
The remote engine oil fill assembly 10 is in fluid communication with the engine's oil fill point. The remote engine oil fill assembly 10 is adapted to position oil fill end 16 to a location more accessible to a user than the engine's oil fill point, allowing engine oil to more conveniently be added to the engine. The accessibility provided by the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 reduces the difficulty in adding oil to the engine, therefore, making adding oil to the engine a less time consuming process. Thus, the remote engine oil fill assembly 10 may result in better service habits for the engine, as adding engine oil, such as during an oil change or if the engine oil level is low, is a quicker and more convenient procedure.
