Patent Application
20140196816
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oil filling device, and in particular to an oil filling device that enables adjustment of relative direction and distance between an oil filling funnel of the device and an engine oil filling hole so as to allow the oil filling device to accommodate various models and types of engine.
2. The Related Arts
Vehicles, such as automobiles and motorcycles, comprise an engine that is provided with an oil pan having a small filling opening. It is often that over-filling of oil result in spillage or overflowing of the oil outside the engine, causing environmental pollution when falling to the ground. In addition, when a large amount of oil is filled into an oil tube in a short period, air bubbles are generated and stuck in the oil tube so that the air may not be discharged and thus block oil from being further filled. This affects the efficiency and smoothness of the operation of filling oil and may often lead to spillage of oil due to negligence.
Further, the location and direction of the oil filling opening are different from each other for different engines. Heretofore, oil filling devices are generally not adjustable and are thus not fit to the oil filling openings of various models and types of vehicles. Consequently, it is common to change the oil filling devices when it is attempted to fill oil to different models or types of vehicles. This is certainly very troublesome. Apparently, the conventional, non-adjustable oil filling devices can be further improved.
Thus, it is desired to provide an oil filling device that overcomes the above discussed problems.
An object of the present invention is to provides an oil filling device, which enables adjustment of direction of an oil filling funnel with respect to an oil filling hole of an engine and also enables adjustment of distance between the oil filling funnel and the engine oil filling hole, whereby the oil filling device is applicable to filling oil to various models and types of engines.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an oil filling device, which comprises an oil filling funnel, an extendable tube assembly, a direction adjustment assembly, and a coupling assembly. The oil filling funnel is mounted to a first end of the extendable tube assembly. The extendable tube assembly has a second end mounted to the direction adjustment assembly. The direction adjustment assembly is mounted to the coupling assembly that is attachable to an oil filling hole of an engine. The direction adjustment assembly enables adjustment of the direction of the extendable tube assembly and the oil filling funnel with respect to the engine, while the extendable tube assembly allows the oil filling funnel to be selectively moved toward or away from the oil filling hole. Thus, the oil filling device may accommodate various heights and angles of engine oil filling hole and allows filling of oil into the engine to be conducted in a smoother manner.
The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:
With reference to the drawings and in particular to
An extendable tube assembly 20 comprises a first tubular member 21 that has a first end 211. The angled fitting 12 has a free end that is fit into the first end 211 of the first tubular member 21 of the extendable tube assembly 20. The first tubular member 21 has a free end to which an end connector 22 is mounted. The end connector 22 comprises a tapered bore 221 formed therein and the tapered bore 221 receives a second tubular member 23 to telescopically extend therethrough. The tapered bore 221 comprises a tapered section that receives and retains therein a conical wedge block 24 having a C-shaped cross-section. A fastening element 25, which is internally threaded, is mounted to an external thread 222. After the second tubular member 23 is telescopically received and sets a desired length, the fastening element 25 is rotated to urge the conical wedge block 24 further into the tapered bore 221 so as to get compressed and securely fix the first tubular member 21 and the second tubular member 23 to each other to thereby achieve the functions of extension for adjustment and also fixing at selected length.
A direction adjustment assembly 30 comprises a rotary adjustment knob 31, a fastening knob 32, and a T-shaped fitting 33. The T-shaped fitting 33 has a top portion through which a lateral passage 331 is formed to receive the rotary adjustment knob 31 to extend therethrough in such a way as to maintain the rotary adjustment knob 31 rotatable. The rotary adjustment knob 31 has an end that receives, engages, and fixes an external thread 232 formed on a free end of the second tubular member 23. The rotary adjustment knob 31 has an opposite free end forming an external thread 314 with which an internal thread 321 formed in the fastening knob 32 engages, whereby when the rotary adjustment knob 31 is rotated to a desired angular position, the fastening knob 32 is rotated to tightly abut the T-shaped fitting 33 so as to secure the position of the rotary adjustment knob 31.
A coupling assembly 40 comprises a locking cap 41, in which an axially extending insertion bore 411 is formed. The insertion bore 411 receives the T-shaped fitting 33 to inset therein. In operation, the insertion bore 411 is set in communication with an interior of an engine 50 (see
Referring to
The end connector 22 comprises an internal tapered bore 221, which telescopically receives the second tubular member 23 to extend therethrough. The tapered bore 221 comprises a tapering section that receives and retains the conical wedge block 24 therein. The fastening element 25 comprises an internally threaded hole 251 and the end connector 22 has an outer circumference that forms an external thread 222 engaging the internally threaded hole 251 of the fastening element 25.
Once the second tubular member 23 is extended or retracted to a desired length, the fastening element 25 is rotated to drive the conical wedge block 24 further into the tapered bore 221 so as to compress the wedge block and thus fix the first tubular member 21 and the second tubular member 23 to each other to achieve the functions of extension for adjustment and also fixing at selected length.
The first bore 212 of the first tubular member 21 is in communication with a second bore 231 of the second tubular member 23.
The direction adjustment assembly 30 that comprises the rotary adjustment knob 31, the fastening knob 32, and the T-shaped fitting 33 is structured so that the T-shaped fitting 33 has a top portion forming the lateral passage 331 to receive the rotary adjustment knob 31 to extend therethrough. The T-shaped fitting 33 also has a lower portion forming a vertical passage 332 extending from and in communication with the lateral passage 331. The rotary adjustment knob 31 is rotatable and has an end (leading end) forming an internally-threaded hole 311 that engages an external thread 232 formed at a free end of the second tubular member 23.
The rotary adjustment knob 31 has an opposite end (tailing end) forming a hole 312 in communication with the internally-threaded hole 311. The rotary adjustment knob 31 has a circumferential wall in which a plurality of through holes 313 is formed to correspond to the vertical passage 332 to communicate with the vertical passage 332. The rotary adjustment knob 31 comprises an external thread 314 formed at the tailing end to engage an internal thread 321 formed in the fastening knob 32, whereby when the rotary adjustment knob 31 is set at a desired angular position, the fastening knob 32 is rotated to abut against the T-shaped fitting 33 and thus secure the rotary adjustment knob 31 in position.
The coupling assembly 40 comprises the locking cap 41, which forms an axially extending insertion bore 411 to receive and retain the T-shaped fitting 33 in such a way that the vertical passage 332 is in communication with the insertion bore 411. The insertion bore 411 is set in communication with the engine 50 (see
Oil is filled through the funnel hole 101 of the oil filling funnel 10, passing through the connector hole 111, the angled fitting hole 121, the first bore 212, the tapered bore 221, the second bore 231, the internally-threaded hole 311, the hole 312, the through holes 313, the vertical passage 332, and the insertion bore 411 to get into the interior of the engine 50.
Referring to
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It is apparent that the oil filling device according to the present invention enables adjustment of position and direction thereof with respect to an engine where oil is to be filled with the oil filling device and such adjustment is done with a novel and unique structure and arrangement that has never been proposed and known.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.
