Patent Grant
8807111
None.
The present disclosure relates generally to an oil pump modification adaptor for a reciprocating, internal combustion engine. More particularly, the present invention relates to an oil pump modification adaptor for a reciprocating, internal combustion engine that converts a no-filtration system or bypass filtration system a full-flow oil filtration system.
All engines have many moving parts that require lubrication to minimize friction when the engine operates. The lubrication allows the engine to work more efficiently and with reduced wear and tear. Lubricants not only lubricate the moving parts, but also cool the engine, inhibit corrosion, collect dirt, metal debris, soot and other particulates that damage the engine.
Very early motor vehicle engines did not have oil filters, allowing the engine oil to quickly become contaminated. The oil had to be changed frequently. After World War I, a bypass filter system was developed for the automotive engine. An oil pump forced a gross unregulated output into a plurality of distribution passages within the engine and controlled oil pressure downstream through a regulator. All of the oil was pumped directly from the oil reservoir by an oil pump to the moving parts without filtration, and in the bypass filtration, a smaller proportion of the oil was sent through the bypass filter and returned directly to the reservoir. Particulates not caught by the filter continued to circulate with the oil. The relatively basic lubricating oil was primarily hydrocarbons from petroleum, and had to be changed frequently to remove accumulated contaminants.
Development of performance-enhancing additives for lubricating oil began in earnest during World War II. Their specially designed properties allow a wider temperature range with measurably better viscosity performance at service temperature extremes. Additionally, contemporary lubricating oils have better chemical stability, being resistant to oxidation and thermal breakdown and better shear stability when compared to the traditional oils. Contemporary oils on the market also have additive compounds such as detergents and surfactants that suspend particulate so that they are delivered to a filter in the oil distribution system. Most particulates do not settle out in the reservoir; instead, they continue to circulate as oil contaminants until captured within an oil filter.
Since these contemporary oils last longer in terms of physical and chemical stability, the need to change the oil is less frequent. With less frequent oil changes, the particulates accumulate, offsetting certain advantages of the contemporary oils. If the oil is recirculated without complete filtering, as in the bypass filter system or when there is no oil filter system, the suspended particulates accelerate engine wear and tear.
To avoid the detrimental effects of unfiltered, contemporary oils on very early motor vehicle engines, better filtering of the oil is required so that particulate build-up is minimized. Newer automobiles employ a full-flow system, wherein all of the oil passes through the oil filter system in a single flow path, the oil moving from the oil reservoir to the engine by first moving through the filter. Older motor vehicles with the bypass system or without a filter system cannot take full advantage of the higher performing contemporary oils. Although the old-fashioned lubricants are still on the market, car enthusiasts who operate older automobiles having the bypass system or no filter system desire to use contemporary engine oils. However, without a full-flow filter system, they are limited to the use of old-fashioned products or with misuse of contemporary oils.
Some have seen the advantage of a full-flow system for older automobiles and have developed a way to retrofit air-cooled engines with a full-flow system. While these retrofit units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present disclosure as disclosed hereafter. None, however, have converted a no-filter system or a bypass system into a full-flow system for retrofitting the older motor vehicle engine and thereby permit safe use of contemporary oils.
In the present disclosure, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
An object of an example embodiment in the present disclosure is to provide an adaptor that modifies a lubricating oil flow path within an engine to remove suspended particulates from lubricating oil. Accordingly, the example embodiment is an adaptor that changes the flow path of a lubricating oil within an engine, the engine having no filter or a bypass filter, changing the oil flow path to a full flow through a filter.
A further object of an example embodiment in the present disclosure is to provide an adaptor that allows all lubricating oil needed to lubricate a plurality of moving parts in an engine to pass through a filter before entering a plurality of oil galleries and passages in the engine. Accordingly, the example embodiment is an adaptor that changes the flow path of a lubricating oil so that a net oil flow required by lubricating the moving parts passes through a filter, preventing oil from a reservoir directly entering the engine galleries and passages.
Another object of an example embodiment in the present disclosure is to provide an adaptor that modifies an oil pump in an engine having no filter or a bypass filter so that, when the engine is lubricated by a contemporary lubricating oil that suspends the particulates, the particulates do not damage the engine. Accordingly, the example embodiment in the present disclosure provides an adaptor that modifies an oil pump in an engine having no filter or a bypass filter, passing the contemporary lubricating oil through a filter so that, when the engine uses a contemporary lubricating oil that suspends the particulates, the particulates are removed by full flow filtration and do not damage the engine.
Yet another object of an example embodiment in the present disclosure is to provide an adaptor that modifies an oil pump in an engine having no filter or a bypass filter to a full flow filter while maintaining design oil pressure in the engine during operation. Accordingly, the example embodiment in the present disclosure provides an adaptor having an integral pressure regulator that maintains design oil pressure during conditions of low and high engine speed.
A further object of to provide an adaptor/pump combination in which such an adaptor is joined not only to an oil pump but also to an oil filter assembly to provide full-flow oil filtration for an internal combustion engine.
A still further object is to incorporate just the regulator components of the adaptor into the housing of an oil pump having an attached oil filtration assembly to form an integral, oil pump/oil filtration assembly combination to provide full flow oil filtration for an internal combustion engine.
The present disclosure is an oil pump modification adaptor for retrofitting a motor vehicle engine that converts a no filtration system or a bypass filtration system to a full flow filtration system. The adaptor modifies the oil pump so that the engine can safely use a lubricating oil, even a contemporary lubricating oil, by providing full flow lubrication that removes a plurality of suspended particulates in the oil, so that the particulates do not damage the engine. The flow path of lubricating oil is modified such that oil is prevented from directly entering the engine unfiltered from an oil reservoir. The adaptor has an integral oil pressure regulator that maintains design oil pressure during normal operating conditions while directing oil to pass through the filter before entering the engine galleries and passages. The adaptor easily installs and replaces an end plate on an oil pump housing on the original pump.
The present disclosure addresses at least one of the disadvantages discussed hereinabove. However, it is contemplated that the present disclosure may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claims should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed hereinabove. To the accomplishment of the above, this disclosure may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the disclosure.
In the drawings, like elements are denoted by like reference numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows:
The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various example embodiments. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure is thorough, complete and fully conveys the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.
Referring to
The exterior wall 127 of the pump housing 128 has a circular opening 129 in communication with the hollow, cylindrical, interior space S of the housing 128. A pump oil inlet port 134 extends from a first, interior surface of, and part way through, the interior wall 125 of the pump 108 and communicates with an oil inlet cavity 220 cut out of an opposite, second surface of said interior wall. A pump oil outlet port 34 extends from said first, interior surface of, and part way through, the interior wall 125 of the pump and communicates with a pump oil outlet cavity 230 cut out of said opposite, second surface of said interior wall. Accordingly, the inlet cavity 220 and the outlet cavity, 230, disposed in side by side relation, communicate with the interior space S of the housing.
A rotor shaft 210 is mounted for rotation about the shaft axis A-A within the interior space S of the housing 128. The shaft 210 extends along the shaft axis A-A from an exterior end thereof within the housing 128, through the housing, protrudes through a shaft aperture 128A in the interior wall 125, and extends through an elongated, ferrule extension 135 of the interior wall to an interior end thereof. The interior end of the shaft 210 terminates in means 210G for coupling the rotor shaft 210 to the oil pump drive means 108 D in rotary, driven engagement, which coupling means, in the case of the example Hudson automobile engine, is a helical spur gear in driven engagement with a mating gear 111 mounted on the engine camshaft 109;
As best seen in
Referring now to
As may be seen in
An oil distribution cavity 30 and an oil circulation cavity 20 extend part way through the adaptor 10 from the interior side 15 toward the exterior side 17 thereof and are disposed in spaced apart, side by side relation such that, when the interior side of the adaptor is attached to the exterior wall 127 of the pump, the oil distribution 30 and circulation 20 cavities matingly align and are in fluid communication with the oil outlet 230 and inlet 220 cavities of the pump, respectively; see
To maintain oil pressure at or near a design oil pressure for the engine, the adaptor has an integral oil pressure regulator. The regulator, shown in
At all times the regulator plunger 68 is acted upon by oil pressure as it exists in the regulator bore inlet passage 36. As the plunger 68 is necessarily a free fit in the regulator bore 62, an incidental flow of oil will pass from the regulator bore end 62P past the plunger 68 and into the regulator bore retainer end 62R. Oil thus communicated from the plunger end 62P to the retainer end 62R is returned to the circulation cavity 20 through the relief channel 24. Prevention of oil pressure elevation in the regulator bore end 62R in this manner is crucial to proper operation of the regulator. For the adaptor 10 to operate in the intended manner, it is necessary to deactivate the oil pressure regulating valve 200 in the engine block 100. The valve 200 can be deactivated, for instance, by fixing its plunger 200P permanently in a position that completely occludes the oil exit orifice 200Q of the valve (e.g., with a pin) or by replacing its spring with a less compressible spring that will withstand oil pressures significantly higher than engine design oil pressure before compressing enough for the plunger to be displaced sufficiently to uncover the oil exit orifice of the valve, in which latter case the oil regulating valve 200 serves as a safety relief valve.
It will be understood that the adaptor 10 can be used with both pre-contemporaneous lubricating oils as well as with a contemporary oils having additives that suspend the particulates rather than having the particulates settle into the oil reservoir 102. If the contemporary oil is not filtered before it is introduced to the moving parts of the engine, the particulates cause excessive wear and tear.
For the purposes of this disclosure, a gross flow from the pump 108 is defined as the unregulated, theoretical output volume from the pump under a given set of conditions. A net flow is defined as the regulated volume of oil expelled by the pump 108 at design pressure into the engine, the engine having a plurality of moving parts, the net flow lubricating the moving parts. A surplus volume is the difference between the unregulated, theoretical output volume and the net flow volume, the surplus flow recirculating within the pump 108 and adaptor 10, as shown in
Under operating conditions such as, for example, but not limited to, when the engine speed is low, where the demand for flow necessary to maintain design pressure is equal to, or less than, the pump output volume, the plunger tip 72 sits in the regulator bore 62 at the plunger end 62P of the bore 62. At that position, the regulator plunger 68 blocks the regulator bore outlet port 21 and outlet channel 22, preventing communication of the distribution cavity 30 with the circulation cavity 20. The gross output of the pump 108 is communicated to the outlet port 34 of the adaptor 10 with no degree of regulation required because there is no surplus oil flow. As pressure rises in the distribution cavity 30 due to operating conditions where the gross oil flow exceeds the net flow requirements of the engine, the plunger 68 moves axially in response to the distribution cavity pressure against the resistance of the compression spring, moving sufficiently toward the retainer end 62R until the plunger begins to uncover the regulator bore outlet channel 22, putting the regulator bore inlet passage 36 and the outlet channel 22 in fluid communication. As the plunger 68 moves toward the regulator spring retainer end 62R, the inlet passage 36 comes into fluid communication with the circulation cavity 20 through regulator bore 62, the movement of the plunger 68 variably exposing the outlet channel 22, causing a regulated volume of oil to flow from the distribution cavity 30 to the circulation cavity 20. The magnitude of the opening to the outlet channel 22 where it intersects the regulator bore 62P varies with the axial movement of the plunger 68 in proportion with the volume of surplus oil flow, thus maintaining constant oil pressure. The surplus oil flow enters the circulation cavity 20 and recirculates within the adaptor 10, thereby regulating the pressure in the distribution cavity 30, reducing the flow from the distribution cavity 30 to the filter 110 to the net flow requirements of the engine at the design oil pressure. An equilibrium is reached when the force generated by oil pressure in the regulator bore segment 62P has displaced the plunger 68 toward the regulator bore end 62R sufficiently to expose the regulator bore outlet channel 22, thereby generating an equal and opposite counterforce on the plunger and establishing a path for a surplus volume of oil to flow from the distribution cavity 30 to the circulation cavity 20. Any further rise in the surplus volume of oil results in still further displacement of the plunger and an increased exposure of the cross-sectional area of channel 22. Conversely, less surplus flow volume results in a reduction in the flow of oil from the distribution cavity 30 to the circulation cavity 20. In this fashion, the regulator 60 maintains the engine design oil pressure by regulating the oil flow volume proportionate to the requirements of the engine.
The engine block 100 further has a plurality of openings, a pump socket 126, a block outlet port 122, a block inlet port 124, and, on some vintage motor vehicles, such as the exemplary Hudson automobile described and depicted herein, an oil sender unit port 106 into which is threaded an oil sender that is wired to an oil pressure indicator in the dashboard (not shown). A gasket 120 is placed between the pump housing 128 and the engine openings. The gasket 120 has fastener openings 12, a pump socket opening 126G and block outlet port opening 122G, but no block inlet port opening, effectively preventing oil flow into the engine block 100 directly without passing through the filter 110, further preventing unfiltered oil with suspended particulates entering the engine and causing excessive wear and tear. Occluding the engine block oil inlet port 124 with the gasket 120 is one means of preventing oil flowing untreated from the pump 108 with the adaptor 10 and is a non-limiting example. Other means of blocking the pump outlet port to direct the oil to the adaptor and exit through the adaptor to the filter are possible within the inventive concept, the means adapted for pump configurations used on other engines. Because installation of the adaptor 10 precludes oil from thereafter flowing back into the engine block 100 from the oil pump/adaptor combination through the engine block oil inlet port 124, an alternate engine block oil inlet port must be provided for that purpose. In the case of the Hudson and certain other vintage motor vehicles having engines blocks with an oil sender unit port 106, the oil sender unit port can serves as the required alternate engine block oil inlet port. In other vintage motor vehicles, such as certain 1930s through 1950s era Chrysler motor models, there is no oil sender unit port on the engine block, and it is necessary to create an alternate engine block oil inlet port by drilling a hole in the block and mounting within the hole a suitable fitting for attachment of an oil conduction tube 105. Thus, the term “alternate engine block oil inlet port,” as used herein and denoted by the numeral 106, shall refer to either an oil sender unit port, if the engine block 100 has such a port, after removal therefrom of the oil sender unit or, if no oil sender port exists on the block, an oil inlet port on the engine block specially created as part of the installation of the adaptor on the oil pump 108. In either case, the alternate engine block oil inlet port 106 communicates with the oil passages and galleries within the engine block.
Without the adaptor 10 in place, as is well-known in the prior art, oil enters the pump 108 through the pump inlet port 134. The oil is then conveyed by the rotation of the pump rotor assembly R through the pump and out the pump outlet port 133. However, with the adaptor 10 in place, oil enters the pump 108 through the pump inlet port 134 and then is conveyed by rotation of the pump rotor assembly R through the pump. The pump outlet port is now blocked by the occluding means 137, thus causing the oil to enter the adaptor distribution cavity 30. Oil pressure will rise in the adaptor distribution cavity 30 until it reaches that which is sufficient to initiate action of the regulator 60, as described hereinabove. So long as the oil pressure is at or below the engine design oil pressure, oil flows from the outlet port 34 on the adaptor 10, with no oil recirculating within the oil pump/adaptor combination 10, 108.
The adaptor as described and illustrated herein is fitted to an oil pump 108 in a bypass filter system or a no-filter system, such as found on a vintage automobile (e.g., a Hudson brand motor car), but the adaptor is selectively customizable to other brands of automobiles having a bypass filter system or a no-filter system, such as, for example, but not limited to, Packard, Studebaker, Nash and Willys, as well as older models produced by Ford, Pontiac and others.
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
Although the distribution and the circulation cavities 30, 20 are depicted in
Instead of mounting the filter assembly 112 to the engine separate and apart from the adaptor/pump combination 10/108, the filter assembly 112 can be joined to the adaptor 10 adjacent to the oil outlet port 34 of the adaptor with the oil inlet port 252 of the filter assembly aligned, and in communication with the oil outlet port of the adaptor;
Alternatively, as depicted in
In this integrated oil pump/filter assembly combination 350, with a disposable oil filter cartridge 110 threaded onto the nipple 260 and with the engine operating, so long as the oil pressure is less than or at engine design oil pressure, oil pumped from the pump oil outlet cavity 230 (arrow 255), enters the disposable, filter cartridge through the annular opening 263, passes through the filter element 256 (arrows 258) within the cartridge, exits the filter cartridge through a the hollow nipple 260, thence exits the combination through the oil outlet port 34 of the oil pump portion of the combination. Accordingly, in the case of this integral combination 350, the outlet port 34 of the oil pump must be left not occluded and there is no need in this case for an alternate engine block oil inlet port 106 because the engine block oil inlet port 124 remains available to receive lubricating oil from the integral filter assembly/oil pump combination. Whenever oil pressure rises above the engine design oil pressure, the surplus oil recirculates within the integral oil pump/oil filter assembly combination.
Example embodiments are described herein with reference to schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, example embodiments described herein should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions as illustrated herein, but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated or described as flat may, typically, have rough and/or nonlinear features. Moreover, sharp angles that are illustrated may be rounded. It is further understood that, although ordinal terms, such as, “first,” “second.” “third,” are used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the present claims.
In conclusion, herein is presented an oil pump modification adaptor for an automobile. The disclosure is illustrated by example in the drawing figures, and throughout the written description. It should be understood that numerous variations and equivalents are possible, while adhering to the inventive concept. Such variations are contemplated as being a part of the present disclosures.
This application claims the benefit of a provisional application by the same applicant for the same invention filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Apr. 9, 2012, application No. 61/621,744.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3384063 | Moulton et al. | May 1968 | A |
| 3777847 | Lawless | Dec 1973 | A |
| 4406784 | Cochran | Sep 1983 | A |
| 4452695 | Schmidt | Jun 1984 | A |
| 4561395 | McMullen | Dec 1985 | A |
| 4752387 | Thomas | Jun 1988 | A |
| 4834040 | Yoshida | May 1989 | A |
| 5298158 | Anderson | Mar 1994 | A |
| 5511522 | Tran | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5558058 | Ming et al. | Sep 1996 | A |
| 5771854 | Barton | Jun 1998 | A |
| 6126818 | Duerrstein et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6267094 | Kuettner et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6951606 | Cousineau et al. | Oct 2005 | B2 |
| 7300581 | Seipold | Nov 2007 | B2 |
| 7739997 | Leisner | Jun 2010 | B2 |
| RE42408 | Havlik et al. | May 2011 | E |
| 8181745 | Stanfield et al. | May 2012 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130263827 A1 | Oct 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61621744 | Apr 2012 | US |
