Snorkel system

• US 10,428,773 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2018
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omix-Ada Incorporated (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Omix-Ada Incorporated (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Patrick W., Russell, Eric Lance
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, John D
• Application Number:
  US16/171,428
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 180 683
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 13/02 concerning intake
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10013 Means upstream of the air filter; Connection to the ambient air

Abstract

A snorkel system comprising: (a) a vehicle adapter configured to connect to a vehicle; (b) one or more air tubes configured to extend along an interior of an engine compartment of the vehicle; and (c) one or more angle adapters adapted to be located within the engine compartment of the vehicle, the one or more angle adapters fluidly connecting the vehicle adapter and the one or more air tubes together; wherein the one or more angle adapters include: an inlet opening located within a first plane, the inlet opening being located proximate to and in fluid communication with the vehicle adapter, and an outlet opening being in communication with a first end of the one or more air tubes, the outlet opening being located within a second plane that is spaced apart from and extends substantially parallel to the first angle adapter.

Claims

1. A snorkel system comprising:

a. a vehicle adapter configured to connect to a vehicle;

b. one or more air tubes configured to extend along an interior of an engine compartment of the vehicle; and

c. one or more angle adapters adapted to be located within the engine compartment of the vehicle, the one or more angle adapters fluidly connecting the vehicle adapter and the one or more air tubes together;

wherein the one or more angle adapters include;

an inlet opening located within a first plane, the inlet opening being located proximate to and in fluid communication with the vehicle adapter, and

an outlet opening being in communication with a first end of the one or more air tubes, the outlet opening being located within a second plane that is spaced apart from and extends substantially parallel to the first plane; and

wherein air flows into the inlet opening in a first direction and then turns and flows in a second direction towards the outlet opening.

2. The snorkel system of claim 1, wherein the one or more angle adapters include a step tube that extends at an angle relative to the inlet opening and the outlet opening.

3. The snorkel system of claim 2, wherein the angle the step tube extends at relative to the inlet opening is between about 75 degrees and about 15 degrees.

4. The snorkel system of claim 2, wherein the angle the step tube extends at relative to the outlet opening is between about 75 degrees and about 15 degrees.

5. The snorkel system of claim 1, wherein a wall forming a leading edge of the inlet opening and a wall forming a leading edge of the outlet opening are substantially parallel.

6. The snorkel system of claim 1, wherein a step tube extends between and connects the inlet opening to the outlet opening and the step tube extends from the first plane to the second plane.

7. The snorkel system of claim 1, wherein the inlet opening faces a grill of the vehicle adapter.

8. The snorkel system of claim 1, wherein the inlet opening faces away from the engine compartment of the vehicle when the angle adapter is installed within the engine compartment.

9. The snorkel system of claim 1, wherein the one or more air tubes extends along a longitudinal direction of a vehicle.

10. The snorkel system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle adapter includes a grill and a grill plate.

11. The snorkel system of claim 10, wherein the grill plate is solid.

12. The snorkel of claim 1, wherein the angle adapter and the one or more air tubes are connected by one or more connectors.

13. A snorkel system comprising:

a. a vehicle adapter configured to connect to a vehicle;

b. one or more air tubes configured to extend along an interior of an engine compartment of the vehicle; and

c. one or more angle adapters adapted to be located within the engine compartment of the vehicle, the one or more angle adapters fluidly connecting the vehicle adapter and the one or more air tubes together;

wherein the one or more angle adapters include;

an inlet opening located within a first plane, the inlet opening being located proximate to and in fluid communication with the vehicle adapter, and

an outlet opening being in communication with a first end of the one or more air tubes, the outlet opening being located within a second plane that is spaced apart from and extends substantially parallel to the first plane;

wherein the snorkel system includes one or more transfer connectors that are connected to and in fluid communication with a second end of the one or more air tubes.

14. The snorkel system of claim 13, wherein the one or more transfer connectors are configured to connect to an air box of the vehicle.

15. The snorkel system of claim 13, wherein the one or more transfer connectors include a connector that connects the one or more transfer connectors to the vehicle.

16. The snorkel system of claim 13, wherein the one or more transfer connectors include a transfer outlet and a transfer inlet.

17. The snorkel system of claim 16, wherein air flows into the transfer inlet in a first direction and out of the transfer outlet in a direction that is different than the first direction.

18. The snorkel system of claim 17, wherein air flows from the first direction to a second direction and then a third direction that is the direction out of the transfer outlet.

19. The snorkel system of claim 18, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction.

20. The snorkel system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle adapter includes a grill and a grill plate, the one or more angle adapters and the one or more air tubes are connected by one or more connectors, and the one or more angle adapters include a step tube that extends at an angle relative to the inlet opening and the outlet opening;

wherein the angle of the step tube relative to the inlet opening is between about 75 degrees and about 15 degrees and the angle of the step tube relative to the outlet opening is between about 75 degrees and about 15 degrees; and

wherein a wall forming a leading edge of the inlet opening and a wall forming a leading edge of the outlet opening are substantially parallel.