Oil tank drain system for watercraft

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6755704
  • Patent Number
    6,755,704
  • Date Filed
    Monday, January 13, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 29, 2004
    19 years ago
Abstract
An oil drain system and method for draining oil for a personal watercraft that includes an oil reservoir coupled to a flow regulator, located in the interior of the personal watercraft. The flow regulator is additionally coupled to a cover that seals an access opening formed on the exterior of the personal watercraft by means of a tether such that when the cover is removed for an oil change the tether pulls the flow regulator to the exterior of the watercraft so that oil in the reservoir can be drained to the exterior of the watercraft.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




This invention relates to a watercraft such as a personal watercraft and more particularly to an improved oil drain system therefore.




BACKGROUND




Personal watercrafts are a popular type of watercraft in which one or more passengers ride on rather than in the watercraft. Personal watercrafts are powered by jet propulsion devices coupled to engines. The engines are typically of the 2-stroke or 4-stroke variety. The 2-stroke variety is fueled by an oil/gasoline mix and the four-stroke by gasoline.




Watercrafts powered by 4-stroke engines provide many advantages. As compared to 2-stroke engine powered watercrafts, 4-stroke watercrafts consume less fuel, emit less noise and pollution, and are more powerful. However, a disadvantage is the inconvenient process by which oil is removed for routine oil changes.




Four-stroke engines are typically provided with oil reservoirs positioned under the cylinder block. Because the engine is positioned so that the drive shaft extends horizontally, the oil reservoir is positioned under the engine. In a typical 4-stroke watercraft the oil drain access is provided on the top of the oil reservoir. Generally, an access panel is provided at the top of the hull for maintenance. Such a configuration requires the use of a siphon or powered pump to remove the oil from the reservoir and makes routine oil changes cumbersome and inconvenient.




Several attempts to facilitate oil draining from watercrafts have been made. These attempts, however, generally require the use of inconvenient specialized tools, rearrangement of the engine within the hull, or require the service person to manipulate valves located in the interior of the watercraft. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,867 discloses a drain system for a marine vessel wherein a multiple conduit structure connecting the oil reservoir to ah access in the transom provides for oil draining. A valve, positioned in the interior of the vessel, provides for controlling the flow of oil through the conduit.




U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,777 discloses a marine engine oil drainage device wherein a conduit connects the oil pan of the marine engine to a drainage port in the stem of a marine vessel. A valve is attached to the conduit in the interior of the vessel. The valve is actuated by either the use of a specialized tool or other means requiring the service person to place his or her hands into the interior of the hull of the marine vessel.




U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,779 discloses an oil system drain for personal watercraft wherein the oil reservoir is positioned within the interior of the watercraft such that an oil plug can be accessed from an opening in the bottom of the hull of the watercraft.




It is desirable therefore, to provide an oil drain system for a typical watercraft that allows for convenient routine maintenance.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention provides an improved oil drain system for vehicles with an oil reservoir located within the interior of a vehicle compartment. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an oil drain system comprising an oil reservoir coupled to a flow regulator, located within the interior of a vehicle. The exterior of the vehicle includes an access opening with a cover removably located over the access opening on the exterior of the vehicle. A tether couples the flow regulator of the oil reservoir to the interior of the cover, wherein when the cover is removed from the access opening, the flow regulator can be pulled through the access opening by the tether so that oil can be drained to the exterior of the vehicle.




According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a jet-propelled personal watercraft comprising; a hull including a bottom hull and a top deck secured over the bottom hull, the hull defining an engine compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine for powering a jet propulsion unit, the jet propulsion unit including a steerable water discharge nozzle, the top having a raised, longitudinally extending seat adapted to accommodate an operator in straddle fashion. Jet-propelled personal watercraft includes a lubricating system to lubricate the engine. The lubricating system includes an oil reservoir with a drain formed therein. The oil reservoir is coupled to a flow regulator. Jet-propelled personal watercraft further includes an access opening and a cover having an interior and exterior removably located over the access opening. The flow regulator of the oil reservoir is coupled to the interior of the access opening cover by means of a tether.




The aforedescribed configuration allows for convenient routine oil changes. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of draining oil from a vehicle containing the oil drain system described above. To drain the oil, the service person removes a cover from an access opening located on an exterior of the vehicle and pulls the cover away from the access opening. Because the cover has a tether coupling the it to a flow regulator that has an open and closed position and the flow regulator is coupled to an oil reservoir located in an interior of the vehicle, as the cover is removed the tether pulls the flow regulator through the access opening making it accessible from the exterior of the vehicle. With the flow regulator at the exterior of the vehicle, the service person can open the flow regulator and drain the oil. When the draining is complete, the service person closes the flow regulator and returns it to the interior of the vehicle and finally, replaces the cover over the access opening.




In accordance with another aspect the present invention provides an oil drain system comprising an oil reservoir with an oil drain formed therein with draining means attached at its proximal end to the oil drain. Connecting means is attached at its proximal end to the distal end of the draining means and at its distal end to an access opening cover means.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a schematic of a typical personal watercraft.





FIG. 2

is a schematic of an oil drain system in a non-operational mode according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 3

is a view into the interior of a typical watercraft with the top deck removed including the oil drain system shown in FIG.


2


.





FIG. 4

is a rear view of a typical watercraft including a water draining access opening.





FIG. 5

is a schematic of an oil drain system in a non-operational mode according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 6

is a schematic of the oil drain system shown in

FIG. 2

in operational mode.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION




The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings, in which like elements in different drawings are numbered identically. The drawings depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be understood that embodiments shown in drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit scope of the invention as defined in the claims that follow.





FIG. 1

illustrates a personal watercraft


20


having generally a front or bow


22


and a rear or stern


24


. Personal watercraft


20


includes a top deck


26


secured to a bottom hull


28


along an overlapping portion covered with a rub rail


30


in the embodiment illustrated, forming a hull. The hull includes a water drain opening


32


that is sealed by a cover


34


. The hull formed by the bottom hull


28


and top deck


26


define a compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine


36


for powering the watercraft, and may also include one or more storage compartments, depending upon the size and configuration of the watercraft. The deck portion


26


also has a raised, longitudinally extending seat


38


adapted to accommodate one or more riders seated in straddle fashion on the scat


38


. Engine


36


powers a jet propulsion unit


40


, typically mounted in a tunnel at the bottom rear portion of the watercraft. Jet propulsion unit


40


includes a steerable water discharge nozzle


42


that is operatively connected to a set of handlebars


44


to facilitate steering of the watercraft by the operator. The engine


36


may be of the two or four cycle variety. Of course, the engine


36


may have as few as one, or more than two cylinders, as appreciated by those skilled in the art. In engines of the four-stroke variety, the engine


36


includes a lubricating system (not shown). The lubricating system includes an oil reservoir


46


that must be drained and refilled routinely.





FIG. 2

depicts a preferred embodiment of the oil drain system. The oil drain system includes an oil reservoir


46


positioned within the hull


28


. Oil reservoir


46


retains oil for lubricating the engine. The oil reservoir


46


includes a oil drain


48


that may be formed on the lower aft side of the reservoir


46


so that oil can exit the reservoir by means of gravity. A conduit


50


formed of rubber, plastic, or any other suitable material, is attached at its proximal end to the drain


48


by conventional means. A flow regulator


52


, with an open and closed state is positioned at the distal end of the conduit


50


. The flow regulator


52


may be a plug or manually operable valve such as a petcock or any other suitable device for modulating the flow of a liquid through a conduit. In the closed state, the flow regulator


52


retains the oil within the oil reservoir


46


and conduit


50


. Located at the rear or aft of the watercraft is a water drain opening


32


that allows the hull


28


of the watercraft to be drained of water. The water drain opening


32


is sealed with a cover


34


or other suitable sealing device. A tether


54


is attached at its distal end to the interior of the water drain cover


34


. The proximal end of the tether


54


is coupled to the conduit


50


. The tether


54


may be formed of plastic, metal, or any other suitable material. Additionally, the tether


54


may be a linked chain, or, alternatively, a non-linked solid length of any suitable material.





FIGS. 3 and 4

depict the oil drain system of the embodiment shown in

FIG. 2

in place in a typical personal watercraft. Oil reservoir (not shown) sits below the engine


36


. A conduit


50


coupled to the oil reservoir runs through the hull


28


, which may include a channel


56


defining the lowest point to facilitate the evacuation of oil from the oil reservoir


46


and water from the hull


28


. Conduit


50


includes a flow regulator


52


coupled at its distal end. Conduit


50


and flow regulator


52


are coupled to the proximal end of a tether


54


. In the non-operative state, conduit


50


, flow regulator (in the closed state)


52


, and tether


54


are positioned within the interior of the hull


28


. The distal end of the tether


54


is attached to a water drain opening cover


34


provided in the hull


28


such that when the water drain cover


34


is removed and pulled away from the watercraft the tether


54


engages the conduit


50


and flow regulator


52


and pulls the same to the exterior of the watercraft.





FIG. 5

depicts a second preferred embodiment of the oil drain system. In the embodiment shown here, the tether


54


is coupled to a cover


58


associated with an access opening


60


(separate from the water drain opening) formed in the hull


28


.





FIG. 6

depicts the oil drain system

FIG. 2

in operation. During routine maintenance and oil change, the watercraft is removed from the water. In the case of the embodiment depicted in

FIG. 2

, the person servicing the watercraft removes the water drain cover


34


(and may remove any water collected in the hull). As the water drain cover


34


is pulled away from the watercraft the tether


54


engages and pulls the conduit


50


and flow regulator


52


through the water drain opening


32


and into the reach of the service person. In the case of the embodiment depicted in

FIG. 5

, the service person removes the alternative access opening cover


58


and pulls the cover away from the watercraft to engage the tether


54


to pull the conduit


50


and flow regulator


52


through the alternative access opening


60


to the exterior of the watercraft. The service person then opens the flow regulator


52


and places it at level below the oil drain


48


, gravity pulls the oil contained in the oil reservoir


46


through the conduit


50


and open flow regulator


52


. The oil may be emptied into a oil pan


62


or other suitable receptacle. When the oil draining process is complete, the conduit


50


, flow regulator


52


, and tether


54


are inserted back into the interior of the hull


28


. In the case of the embodiment depicted in

FIG. 2

, the water drain opening cover


34


is inserted into the water drain opening


32


. In the case of the embodiment depicted in

FIG. 5

, the access opening cover


58


is inserted into the access opening


60


.




While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. An oil draining system comprising;an oil reservoir having a flow regulator coupled thereto, the reservoir located in an interior of a vehicle; an access opening located on an exterior of the vehicle; a cover removably located over the access opening on the exterior of the vehicle; and a tether coupling the flow regulator of the oil reservoir to an interior of the cover, wherein when the cover is removed from the access opening, the flow regulator can be pulled through the access opening by the tether so that oil in the reservoir can be drained to the exterior of the vehicle.
  • 2. The oil draining system of claim 1 wherein the flow regulator is coupled to the oil reservoir by a conduit.
  • 3. The oil draining system of claim 2 wherein the conduit is a flexible hose.
  • 4. The oil draining system of claim 1 wherein the flow regulator is a manually operable valve.
  • 5. The oil draining system of claim 1 wherein the flow regulator is a manually operable plug.
  • 6. The oil draining system of claim 1 wherein the tether is a linked chain.
  • 7. The oil draining system of claim 1 wherein the tether is formed of plastic.
  • 8. The oil draining system of claim 1 wherein the tether is formed of metal.
  • 9. The oil draining system of claim 1 wherein the access opening is provided in the hull of a watercraft.
  • 10. The oil draining system of claim 9 wherein the access opening is a water drain opening located in the exterior of the vehicle.
  • 11. The oil drain system of claim 9 wherein the access opening is separate from a water drain opening.
  • 12. A jet-propelled personal watercraft comprising;a hull including a bottom hull and a top deck secured over the bottom hull, the hull defining an engine compartment sized to contain an internal combustion engine for powering a jet propulsion unit, the jet propulsion unit including a steerable water discharge nozzle, the top having a raised, longitudinally extending seat adapted to accommodate an operator in straddle fashion; a lubricating system to lubricate the engine including; an oil reservoir with a drain formed therein, the oil reservoir coupled to a flow regulator; an access opening; a cover having an interior and exterior removably located over the access opening; and a tether coupling the flow regulator of the oil reservoir to the interior of the access opening cover.
  • 13. The watercraft of claim 12 wherein the access opening is provided on an exterior of a hull of the watercraft.
  • 14. The watercraft of claim 13 wherein the access opening is the water drain opening.
  • 15. The watercraft of claim 13 wherein the access opening is separate from a water drain opening.
  • 16. The watercraft of claim 12 wherein the oil reservoir is coupled to the flow regulator by a conduit.
  • 17. The watercraft of claim 16 wherein the conduit is formed of flexible hose.
  • 18. The watercraft of claim 12 wherein the flow regulator is a manually operable valve.
  • 19. The watercraft of claim 12 wherein the flow regulator is a manually operable plug.
  • 20. The watercraft of claim 12 wherein the tether is linked chain.
  • 21. The watercraft of claim 12 wherein the tether is formed of plastic.
  • 22. The watercraft of claim 12 wherein the tether is formed of metal.
  • 23. A method of draining oil from a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of;(a) removing a cover from an access opening located on an exterior of the vehicle; (b) pulling the cover away from the access opening, the cover having a tether coupling the cover to a flow regulator that has an open and closed position, the flow regulator being coupled to an oil reservoir located in an interior of the vehicle, wherein the tether pulls the flow regulator through the access opening so that it is accessible from the exterior of the vehicle; (c) opening the flow regulator; (d) draining the oil through the flow regulator; (e) closing the flow regulator; (f) returning the flow regulator to the interior of the vehicle; and (g) replacing the cover over the access opening.
  • 24. An oil drain system comprising;an oil reservoir with an oil drain formed therein; draining means attached at its proximal end to the oil drain; connecting means attached at its proximal end to the distal end of the draining means; and access opening cover means attached to the distal end of the connecting means.
  • 25. The oil drain system of claim 24 wherein the connecting means is a tether.
  • 26. The oil drain system of claim 25 wherein the tether is formed of metal.
  • 27. The oil drain system of claim 25 wherein the tether is formed of plastic.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
3103947 Mueller Sep 1963 A
3908797 Schnepp Sep 1975 A
4875884 Meisenburg Oct 1989 A
4986777 Preston Jan 1991 A
5899779 Hattori May 1999 A
6050867 Shields et al. Apr 2000 A