Fluid system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10690025-B2
Application number	US-201615762419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 23, 2015
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A replaceable fluid container for an engine or a vehicle, comprising: a fluid reservoir, at least one fluid port adapted to couple with a fluid circulation system; and an actuator, configured to be operated between a first condition and a second condition, wherein the actuator is configured, in the first condition, to enable the fluid container to be inserted into and/or held in a dock, in a seated but undocked condition, and inhibit docking of the fluid container to the dock; and wherein the actuator is further configured, when operated from the first condition to the second condition with the fluid container being in the seated but undocked condition, to enable the fluid container to dock in an engaged condition with the dock, associated docks and associated methods of supplying a fluid to a vehicle or an engine and of decoupling a fluid container from a fluid circulation system of a vehicle or an engine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
inserting, using a handle in a first position, a fluid container into a dock of a fluid circulation system, wherein the fluid container comprises:
the handle coupled to the fluid container near a top of the fluid container, wherein the handle is configured to rotate about an axis when the handle is rotated from the first position to a second position, wherein the axis is perpendicular to a direction of movement of the fluid container during the inserting; and
a fluid port, wherein the fluid port is located near a bottom of the fluid container and is coupleable to a coupling of the fluid circulation system within the dock;

rotating the handle about the axis from the first position to the second position; and
preventing, by the handle, insertion and removal of the fluid container from and to the dock when the handle is in the second position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the handle is in the first position, the handle is parallel with the direction of movement of the fluid container.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the handle is in the second position, the handle is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the fluid container.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the fluid container further comprises:
aligning a groove in the handle with a protrusion of the dock; and
causing the protrusion to move into the groove.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing a protrusion of the dock to move through a groove in the handle when the handle is rotated about the axis.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein when in the handle is in the first position, a protrusion of the dock is located in a proximal portion of a groove in the handle, and wherein when the handle is in the second position, the protrusion of the dock is located in a distal portion of the groove in the handle.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
guiding a groove within the actuator such that a protrusion of the dock is inserted into the groove.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein preventing the insertion and removal of the fluid container when the handle in is in the second position is based on interference between a groove in the handle and a protrusion of the dock.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the handle is in the first position, the handle is in a vertical position, and wherein when the handle is in the second position, the handle is in a horizontal position.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein when the handle is in the horizontal position, the handle is aligned with a top surface of the fluid container.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rotating the handle about the axis from the second position to the first position; and
providing that the fluid container is removable when the handle is in the first position.

12. A method, comprising:
aligning a groove of an actuator of a fluid container with a protrusion of a dock, wherein the dock includes a coupling and is associated with a fluid system of an engine, and wherein the fluid container comprises a fluid port coupleable to the coupling of the dock;
rotating the actuator from a vertical position parallel to a direction of movement of the fluid container about an axis to a horizontal position relative the direction of movement of the fluid container, wherein the axis of rotation is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the fluid container, wherein the rotation of the actuator causes the protrusion to move along the groove and causes the fluid container to move in the direction of movement of the fluid container;
coupling the fluid port of the fluid container to the coupling of the dock by rotating the actuator from the vertical position to the horizontal position such that when the actuator is in the vertical position the fluid container is not fluid communication with the fluid system of the engine but when in the horizontal position the fluid container is in fluid communication with the fluid system of the engine.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the actuator is coupled to the fluid container at a top end and the fluid port is at a bottom end of the fluid container.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein rotation of the actuator from the vertical position to the horizontal position causes the protrusion to move from a proximal portion of the groove to a distal portion of the groove, wherein when the protrusion is at the distal portion of the groove, the protrusion interferes with the groove of the actuator such that the fluid container is locked in position relative to the dock.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
preventing, by interference between the groove of the actuator and the protrusion when the actuator is in the horizontal position, removal of the fluid container from the dock.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
decoupling the fluid port of the fluid container from the coupling of the dock by rotating the actuator from the horizontal position to the vertical position.

17. A fluid circulation system of a vehicle, comprising:
a fluid container, comprising:
a fluid reservoir;
a handle, wherein the handle is coupled to and spans a top end of the fluid reservoir and is able to rotate from a first position to a second position;
a fluid port, wherein the fluid port is located at a bottom end of the fluid reservoir;

a dock comprising a coupling, wherein the dock accepts insertion of the fluid container when the handle is in the first position, wherein when the fluid container is in an engaged condition the reservoir is in fluid condition with the coupling of the dock via the fluid port of the fluid container, wherein the coupling of the dock is in fluid communication with the vehicle;
wherein rotation of the handle from the first position to the second position causes the fluid container to be in the engaged condition and locks the fluid container in the dock such that the fluid container cannot be removed from the dock when the handle is in the second position.

18. The fluid circulation system of claim 17 , wherein when in the first position, the handle is in a vertical position aligned with a direction of insertion of the fluid container into the dock, and wherein when in the second position, the handle is in a horizontal position perpendicular to the direction of insertion.

19. The fluid circulation of claim 18 , wherein when the handle is in the horizontal position, the handle is aligned with a top surface of the fluid reservoir.

20. The fluid circulation system of claim 17 , wherein the fluid container is prevented from being in the engaged condition unless the fluid container is inserted into the dock with the handle in the first position.

21. The fluid circulation system of claim 17 , wherein the handle further comprises a groove, and further wherein the dock comprises a protrusion, and upon rotation of the handle form the first position to the second position, the protrusion moves along the groove.

Assignees

• Goodier Steven Paul
• Taylor Oliver Paul
• Brett Peter Stuart
• Fairs Mike
• Harding Piers Sebastian
• Dawson Christopher
• Castrol Ltd

Inventors

• Goodier Steven Paul
• Taylor Oliver Paul
• Brett Peter Stuart
• Fairs Mike
• Harding Piers Sebastian
• Dawson Christopher

Classifications

• B60T17/06

  Applications or arrangements of reservoirs · CPC title

• F01M11/0458 Primary

  Lubricant filling and draining · CPC title

• F01M2011/0483

  with a lubricant cartridge for facilitating the change · CPC title

• F01M11/04 Primary

  Filling or draining lubricant of or from machines or engines · CPC title

• B60S1/50

  Arrangement of reservoir · CPC title