Internal combustion engine and oil treatment apparatus for use with the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11808182-B2
Application number	US-202217966417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2022
Priority date	Aug 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

An oil treatment system for an internal combustion engine in one implementation includes an elongated dipstick tube defining a tube axis and a first flow passageway, a housing arranged on the dipstick tube and defining an internal cavity, an oil treatment apparatus disposed in the internal cavity, and a retainer coupled to the housing. The retainer may have a cylindrical body comprising an elongated first flow protuberance insertably received through the oil treatment apparatus to establish fluid communication between the oil treatment apparatus and the first flow passageway of the dipstick tube. The retainer comprises a cavity through which oil may be added directly to the first flow passageway of the dipstick which may be fluidly coupled to an oil sump of the engine. The oil treatment apparatus may be an oil filter. An oil treatment additive may optionally be added to the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An oil treatment system for an internal combustion engine comprising:
an elongated dipstick tube comprising a housing, a first flow passageway, and a second flow passageway, the housing comprising an internal cavity, the first and second flow passageways fluidly coupled to the internal cavity; an oil treatment apparatus disposed in the internal cavity; and a retainer coupled to the housing, the retainer securing the oil treatment apparatus within the internal cavity of the housing.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the oil treatment apparatus is an oil filter having a cylindrical annular body comprising a filter media.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the retainer comprises an elongated first flow protuberance insertably received through the oil treatment apparatus and fluidly coupled to the first flow passageway of the dipstick tube, the first flow protuberance being a hollow tubular structure defining a third flow passageway in direct fluid communication with the first flow passageway of the dipstick tube.

4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the first flow protuberance is arranged coaxially along the tube axis of the dipstick tube and extends completely through the oil filter to the first flow passageway.

5 . The system according to claim 4 wherein the first flow protuberance is insertably received inside an upper portion of the first flow passageway of the dipstick tube such that a direct coupling is formed between the first flow protuberance and the first flow passageway.

6 . The system according to claim 3 , when the third flow passageway defines an oil return chamber.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , further comprising an annular oil inlet chamber formed in the internal cavity of the housing between the oil filter and a sidewall of the housing.

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the first flow protuberance includes a plurality of flow apertures arranged to establish fluid communication through the oil filter between the oil inlet chamber and the oil return chamber of the first flow protuberance.

9 . The system according to claim 8 , wherein the flow apertures comprise elongated slots formed through a cylindrical wall of the first flow protuberance.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is a diametrically enlarged hollow tubular structure disposed on top of the dipstick tube and comprises a cylindrical sidewall which defines the internal cavity.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the housing has an open top and the oil treatment apparatus is insertable into the internal cavity before the retainer is coupled to the housing.

12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the retainer is mounted on top of the housing.

13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the retainer is a hollow tubular structure comprising a cylindrical sidewall defining a second cavity and a bottom wall, the first flow protuberance extending downwards from the bottom wall through the internal cavity of the housing to the first flow passageway of the dipstick tube.

14 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein the housing and retainer each have an outside diameter which is substantially the same such that exterior surfaces of the sidewalls of the housing and retainer are substantially flush with each other.

15 . The system according to claim 13 , further comprising a cap rotatably coupled to the retainer which encloses the second cavity of the retainer.

16 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein inserting the first flow protuberance of the retainer through the housing punctures both an upper frangible seal of the oil treatment apparatus defining a first puncture hole and a lower frangible seal of the oil treatment apparatus defining a second puncture hole.

17 . The system according to claim 16 , wherein the housing comprises an oil feed distribution chamber and plurality of upwardly extending oil inlet flow protuberances which are fluidly coupled to the distribution chamber, the inlet flow protuberances puncturing the lower frangible seal to establish fluid communication between the oil feed distribution and the annular oil inlet chamber of the housing.

18 . An oil treatment system for an internal combustion engine comprising:
an elongated dipstick tube comprising a tubular body and a diametrically enlarged cylindrical filter housing extending from the tubular body, the tubular body defining a first section of an oil return passageway fluidly coupled to an oil sump of the engine, and the diametrically enlarged cylindrical filter housing defining a first internal cavity; an oil filter disposed in the first internal cavity, the oil filter having an annular body defining a central oil return chamber; and a tubular retainer coupled to the housing, the tubular retainer comprising a tubular oil return protuberance defining a second section of the oil return passageway;
the oil return protuberance extending through the oil filter to the dipstick tube such that the second section of the oil return passageway is directly fluidly coupled to the first section of the oil return passageway of the dipstick tube.

19 . The system according to claim 18 , wherein a distal end of the oil return protuberance is insertably received in the first section of the oil return passageway such that oil added to the second chamber of the retainer flows in a direct fluid path to through the oil return protuberance to the first section of the oil return passageway and to an oil sump of the engine.

20 . A method of treating oil in an internal combustion engine comprising:
providing an oil treatment apparatus comprising an elongated dipstick tube and an oil treatment apparatus, the elongated dipstick tube comprising a housing, a first flow passageway, and a second flow passageway, the housing comprising an internal cavity, the first and second flow passageways fluidly coupled to the internal cavity; flowing oil through the second flow passageway into the internal cavity of the housing of the elongated dipstick tube; treating the oil by passing the oil through the oil treatment apparatus, the oil treatment apparatus located within the internal cavity of the housing; and returning the oil to a sump of an engine via the first flow passageway.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Rotter Terrence M

Classifications

• F01M1/10 Primary

  Lubricating systems characterised by the provision therein of lubricant venting or purifying means, e.g. of filters · CPC title

• F01M1/02

  using lubricating pumps (pumps in general F04; lubricating pumps per se F16N) · CPC title

• F01M1/04

  using pressure in working cylinder or crankcase to operate lubricant feeding devices · CPC title

• F01M9/06

  Dip or splash lubrication · CPC title

• F01M11/0004

  Oilsumps · CPC title