Drain plug for oil pan

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11015495-B2
Application number	US-201816203389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Dec 19, 2017
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A drain plug for an oil pan coupled to a plug mounting hole formed at one side of a lower portion of the oil pan, the drain plug may include a head portion configured to be formed at one end portion of the drain plug, and a screw portion configured to extend from the head portion and be screw-coupled to the plug mounting hole of the oil pan.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drain plug assembly for an oil pan, the plug assembly comprising:
a housing including a plug mounting hole formed in the housing; and
a drain plug selectively coupled to the plug mounting hole of the housing,
wherein the drain plug includes:
a head portion formed at an end portion of the drain plug; and
a screw portion formed to extend from the head portion,
wherein the screw portion is selectively screw-coupled to the plug mounting hole of the housing,
wherein the head portion of the drain plug is selectively locked to the housing, wherein a stopper groove selectively coupled to a stopper is formed at a side of an external circumference portion of the head portion in a radial direction of the head portion such that the head portion of the drain plug is locked to the housing by the stopper when the stopper is locked to the stopper groove, wherein a portion of the stopper is configured to be couple to the stopper groove for preventing a release of the drain plug from the housing while the head portion of the drain plug is locked to the housing by the stopper, and wherein the stopper has a corrugated structure.

2. The drain plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drain plug assembly includes a plastic material.

3. The drain plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein a fastening groove for screw coupling is formed in a center portion of the head portion.

4. The drain plug assembly of claim 3 , wherein the fastening groove is in a shape of a line having a predetermined length.

5. The drain plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein stopper fixing bars are formed at a side of the plug mounting hole and the stopper is connected to the stopper fixing bars.

6. The drain plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stopper is fixed to stopper fixing bars mounted at a side of the plug mounting hole.

7. The drain plug assembly of claim 6 , wherein the stopper has an elasticity.

8. The drain plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein a protrusion is formed on an internal surface of an external circumference portion of the head portion toward the screw portion.

9. The drain plug assembly of claim 8 , wherein the protrusion has an arc shape along the external circumference portion of the head portion.

10. The drain plug assembly of claim 8 , wherein an end portion of the protrusion is spaced from the external circumference portion of the head portion with a gap so that the end portion of the protrusion has elasticity.

11. The drain plug assembly of claim 10 , wherein the end portion of the protrusion is formed with a hook.

12. The drain plug assembly of claim 8 , wherein a plurality of protrusions is formed to be spaced from each other along the external circumference portion of the head portion.

13. The drain plug assembly of claim 12 , wherein an end portion of each protrusion is formed with a hook.

14. The drain plug assembly of claim 13 , wherein a locking protrusion is formed along an internal circumference of the plug mounting hole inside the housing.

15. The drain plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein a wrench hole is formed in an end portion of the screw portion.

16. The drain plug assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plug mounting hole is formed with at least a locking protrusion.

17. The drain plug assembly of claim 1 , further including: an O-ring for preventing leakage of oil between the housing and the head portion.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Lee Byung-Hyun
• Kim Hyun-Jun
• Joo Jung-Ho

Classifications

• F01M2011/0416

  Plugs · CPC title

• F01M11/04 Primary

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

• F01M11/0004

  Oilsumps · CPC title

• F01M11/0408 Primary

  Sump drainage devices, e.g. valves, plugs · CPC title

• F16H57/0452

  Oil pans · CPC title