Carburetor drain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11614060-B2
Application number	US-202217858184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2022
Priority date	Mar 27, 2017
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

A carburetor includes a carburetor bowl, a fuel supply pipe, a fuel drain pipe, and a valve. The carburetor bowl is configured to store fuel and provide the fuel to an air passage. The fuel supply pipe is connected a fuel tank and the carburetor bowl. The fuel drain pipe is connected to the carburetor bowl and the fuel supply line. The valve for the fuel drain pipe is configured to open and close in response to an orientation of the carburetor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carburetor comprising:
a carburetor bowl configured to store fuel and provide the fuel to an air passage;
a fuel supply pipe connecting a fuel tank to the carburetor bowl;
a fuel drain pipe connected to the carburetor bowl and the fuel supply line; and
a valve for the fuel drain pipe configured to allow draining in response to an orientation of the carburetor.

2. The carburetor of claim 1 , wherein the valve allows draining when the orientation of the carburetor is a storage orientation.

3. The carburetor of claim 1 , wherein the valve prevents draining when the orientation of the carburetor is an operation orientation.

4. The carburetor of claim 1 , wherein the valve opens or closes in response to a force of gravity.

5. The carburetor of claim 1 , wherein the fuel drain pipe is configured to drain stale fuel from the carburetor bowl.

6. The carburetor of claim 1 , wherein the valve opens with the orientation of a lawnmower that includes the carburetor.

7. A machine comprising:
an engine;
a fuel tank; and
a carburetor comprising:
a carburetor bowl configured to store fuel and provide the fuel to an air passage;
a fuel supply pipe connecting the fuel tank and the carburetor bowl; and
a fuel drain pipe connected to the carburetor bowl and one of the fuel supply line or the fuel tank;

wherein, when the machine is transitioned from a first orientation to a second orientation, fuel drains from the carburetor bowl to the fuel tank.

8. The machine of claim 7 , further comprising a supporting device, the supporting device supporting the engine in the second orientation and providing no support to the engine in the first orientation.

9. The machine of claim 7 , wherein the carburetor comprises a valve coupled between the fuel drain pipe and the fuel supply line.

10. The machine of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of wheels, wherein an entirety of the plurality of wheels is in contact with a ground surface in the first orientation and fewer than the entirety of the plurality of wheels is in contact with a ground surface in the second orientation.

11. An engine comprising:
a carburetor, the carburetor comprising:
a carburetor bowl configured to store fuel and provide the fuel to an air passage;
a fuel supply pipe connecting a fuel tank to the carburetor bowl;
a fuel drain pipe connected to the carburetor bowl and the fuel supply line; and

wherein the carburetor is configured to allow draining via the fuel drain pipe in response to an orientation of the carburetor.

12. The engine of claim 11 , further comprising a valve, the valve enabling draining.

13. The engine of claim 12 , wherein the valve opens or closes in response to a force of gravity.

14. The engine of claim 12 , wherein the valve is fluidly coupled between the fuel drain pipe and the fuel supply pipe.

15. The engine of claim 12 , wherein the valve is a check valve.

16. The engine of claim 11 , wherein the carburetor is configured to allow draining when the orientation of the carburetor is a storage orientation.

17. The engine of claim 11 , wherein the carburetor is configured to prevent draining when the orientation of the carburetor is an operation orientation.

18. The engine of claim 11 , wherein the fuel drain pipe is configured to drain stale fuel from the carburetor bowl.

19. The engine of claim 11 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect orientation of the engine.

20. The engine of claim 19 , wherein the carburetor is drained in response to data output by the sensor.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Rotter Terrence
• Baumann Todd
• Stenz Gary

Classifications

• F02M19/00 Primary

  Details, component parts, or accessories of carburettors, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the apparatus of groups F02M1/00 - F02M17/00 · CPC title

• A01D34/001

  Accessories not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F02M5/02

  with provisions to meet variations in carburettor position, e.g. upside-down position in aircraft · CPC title

• F02M37/046

  Arrangements for driving diaphragm-type pumps · CPC title

• F02M37/0052 Primary

  Details on the fuel return circuit; Arrangement of pressure regulators · CPC title