Patent Application
20200223680
Changing the oil on a car, vehicle, or other mechanical device often requires draining the used oil before adding new oil. In many instances, the used oil is drained by removing a threaded nut referred to as an oil plug. The oil plug is often located on or around the bottom of the oil pan or other reservoir for the oil. If not located directly on the bottom of the oil pan, the oil plug is may be located such that the oil drains by gravity when the oil plug is removed.
Oil plug removal can be messy. Often, the oil plug is configured for removal with a socket wrench, i.e., the oil plug is designed such that a socket head fits around the oil plug. A user may then use a socket wrench to rotate, and thereby loosen, the oil plug. Although using a socket wrench is effective for loosening and removing an oil plug, the oil discharge resulting from loosening and removing the oil plug gets on the wrench, the user's hand, and other undesirable places.
What is needed is an improved apparatus for decreasing or eliminating mess resulting from oil discharge when loosening and/or removing an oil plug.
An oil draining apparatus comprises a funnel with two apertures. A first aperture comprises a compression fitting for creating an oil-tight seal around a socket wrench or socket wrench extension, but still allowing for rotation of the socket wrench or socket wrench extension in the first aperture and compression fitting. The compression fitting may be a non-metallic strain relief cord connector. The second aperture may comprise a spout for draining oil, or tubing for draining oil, or an adapter for tubing for draining oil.
The funnel may comprise additional apertures with universal adapters,
A method for draining oil comprises inserting a socket wrench extension through the compression fitting and rotating the socket wrench to loosen an oil plug on a vehicle, thereby discharging the oil.
An improved funnel apparatus is disclosed for loosening and removing an oil plug and for routing oil discharge during and after loosening and removal of an oil plug.
Table of Reference Numbers from Drawings:
The following table is for convenience only and should not be construed to supersede any potentially inconsistent disclosure herein.
As shown in
Aperture 120 may be for wrench access and may comprise an oil-tight seal through which a socket wrench extension, or socket wrench, or other rotating apparatus or may be inserted so that a user's hand may access the tool below, i.e., outside of the funnel, and a socket head or other rotating member may access the oil plug nut within, or above, the funnel. In one embodiment, the oil-tight seal may be a compression fitting 200 such as a non-metallic strain relief cord connector, e.g., a Halex ¾ in. ACC Non-Metallic Strain Relief Cord Connector or Similar compression fittings are manufactured and distributed by numerous companies and are available in multiple styles and sizes. As shown in
Many compression fittings are known in the art and may possibly be used. The primary characteristics of a compression fitting suitable for a funnel in this applicationare that it must accept a tool, e.g., a shaft of a socket wrench extension, it must create an oil-tight (or substantially oil-tight) seal around the tool (e.g., shaft of socket wrench extension), and, even with the oil-tight seal, it must allow for the tool (e.g., shaft of socket wrench extension) to freely rotate within the compression fitting.
Compression fitting 200 satisfies these requirements. As shown in
Conical seal 230 may be made of a compressible rubber, plastic, or other material as known in the art, and, as shown in
Ridge 222 of female threaded cap 220 is located, designed, sized, and shaped to engage the bottom end of toothed compressible seal 240 and conical seal 230 when female threaded cap 220 is threaded onto male threaded receiver 210, thereby pressing toothed compressible seal 240 and conical seal 230 into the complementary inner tapered end of male threaded receiver 210, compressing the panels of toothed compressible seal 240, and also compressing conical seal 230, thereby creating an oil-tight seal around a shaft of socket wrench extension.
In another embodiment, a rotary shaft seal or a radial shaft seal may be used to create an oil-tight seal that allows for rotating a tool or adapter for a tool. Many rotary shaft seals and radial shaft seals are known in the art.
In one embodiment, male threaded receiver 210 may be secured to aperture 120 using an adhesive, e.g., plastic glue. Many adhesive, tape, or other options are known in the art.
Alternatively, male threaded receiver may be mechanically secured, e.g., using a clamp ring and/or a gasket, or any apparatus or means known in the art for creating an oil-tight seal around an object.
In one embodiment, male threaded receiver 210 may be secured to funnel 100 using plastic glue. As shown in
In one embodiment, socket wrench extension 320 has a circular cross section with a diameter of ⅜ inches, and the compression fitting size ¾ inches, which refers to the measurement of male threaded receiver 210. When the all parts of the compression fitting are engaged and tightened, the compression fitting will create a seal around the ⅜ inches diameter socket wrench extension 320.
Using compression fitting 200 as described herein to create a seal around socket wrench extension 320 results in an oil-tight seal, or at least a substantially oil-tight seal, but still allows for free rotation of socket wrench extension 320 within the sealed compression fitting.
In general, a socket wrench extension with any diameter may be used, and the size of the corresponding compression fitting may be changed or substituted to correspond to the size of diameter of the socket wrench extension. In another embodiment, the size of compression fitting and/or compression receiver piece may be changed based on the diameter of the socket wrench extension.
A part or tool other than a socket wrench extension may be used and inserted through the hole in the funnel and through the compression fitting. In general, any rotating piece that may be used to rotate the oil plug may be used. For example, a non-ratcheting tool, e.g., a screwdriver with an adapter for a socket head or other adapter for engaging and rotating the oil plug, may be used.
As shown in
In one embodiment, as shown in
Discharge/routing tubing 160 may be secured to funnel 100 in many different ways: Discharge/routing tubing 160 may be a monolithic part of funnel 100, or may be secured by a clamp, or may be glued or otherwise adhered, or, as shown in
In one embodiment, discharge routing/tubing 160 may additionally be secured to a discharge pan, catch or reservoir to ensure that the discharged oil will be routed into the discharge pan, catch or reservoir, and not expelled or discharged to an undesirable location, e.g., onto the ground.
In one embodiment, discharge/routing tubing 160 may be poly tubing with an inner diameter of 1.0 inches. Many different types, sizes, and dimensions of piping, tubing, conduit, or other routing means may be used. Larger tubing, e.g., tubing having a greater diameter, may be useful for more quickly routing and draining oil out of funnel 100, but may be more difficult to bend, curve, maneuver, and/or transport. Smaller tubing, e.g., tubing having a smaller diameter, may not drain or route discharged oil as quickly as larger tubing, but may be easier to bend, curve, maneuver, and/or transport. Discharge/routing tubing may have a varying length, and may also include extensions.
As shown in
When user rotates socket wrench 300 in a direction that loosens oil plug 170, oil will begin to discharge from the vehicle's oil reservoir into funnel 100, and will be discharged/drained through aperture 100 and through discharge/routing tubing 160. Because the seal around wrench extension 320 is oil-tight, discharged oil does not leak or otherwise pass compression fitting 200, but is instead drained out discharge/routing tubing 160. In this manner, discharged oil does not get on a user's hands, on the socket wrench, or in other undesirable locations.
Many different shapes of funnels may be used depending on particular applications: angle of oil plug, accessibility of drain plug, or other features of a particular application. For example, apertures 110, 120, and 130 may be located in different positions on funnel 100, thereby allowing for use of funnel 100 at different angles and/or orientations. Also, many different shapes of funnel may be used depending on characteristics of particular applications.
Funnel 100 may be made out of plastic, metal, rubber, composite materials, fiberglass, or any other materials known in the art. In one embodiment, funnel 100 may be made out of plastic.
In one embodiment, the upper rim of funnel 100 may include magnets, which may be embedded or otherwise secured to funnel, and which may allow funnel 100 to be secured to a vehicle's oil pan or other metallic surface so that the funnel remains in place without the use of a hand or other solution for keeping the funnel in place while discharging oil.
In one embodiment, as shown in
Because the holes and fittings are universal, the discharge/routing tubing and compression fitting may be moved to different locations on funnel [rf], thereby allowing for adaptability and reconfigurability based on characteristics of different applications: accessibility of oil plug, angle of oil plug, interfering vehicle parts or other obstructions, features of tools such as socket wrench or socket wrench extension, or other characteristics of different applications that may make re-orienting or re-positioning or re-locating routing-discharge tubing and compression fitting desirable to increase comfort, accessibility, convenience, or other factors.
More than three apertures could be used in a universal application. Three apertures will, however, generally be sufficient to facilitate a good configuration for most applications.
The apparatus disclosed herein may be used for liquids other than automotive oil, and in other applications other than for oil changes and/or draining oil.
