Automated Oil-Change System and Method

• US 20060096809A1
• Filed: 11/08/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Larry Douglas Evans
• Original Assignee: Larry Douglas Evans
• Inventors: Evans, Larry Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,686,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 184/6.5
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/04 Filling or draining lubricant of or from machines or engines

Abstract

The present invention may provide an automatic oil-change system for an engine comprising: a first oil container, a second oil container and means for switching between the first oil container and the second oil container. The switching means may provide the engine with oil from the first oil container until a predetermined time and once a predetermined time is reached, the switching means may provide the engine with oil from the second oil container.

Claims

1. An automatic oil-change system for an engine comprising:

a first oil container;

a second oil container; and

means for switching between the first oil container and the second oil container;

wherein the switching means provides the engine with oil from the first oil container until a predetermined time; and

wherein, once the predetermined time is reached, the switching means provides the engine with oil from the second oil container.

2. The automatic oil-change system of claim 1, wherein the switching means comprises multiple valves;

wherein the resetting of the settings of the multiple valves causes the engine to use oil from the second oil container once the predetermined time is reached.

3. The automatic oil-change system of claim 2, wherein the multiple valves comprise a three-way oil pump valve that connects the first oil container and the second oil container to an oil pump;

and

wherein the three-way oil pump valve controls the flow of oil from the first oil container and the second oil container to the oil pump.

4. The automatic oil-change system of claim 3, wherein the multiple valves further comprise a three-way return valve that connects a bottom fitting in the oil pan to the first oil container and the second oil container;

and

wherein the three-way return valve controls the flow of oil from the oil pan to the first oil container and the second oil container.

5. The automatic oil-change system of claim 4, wherein the multiple valves further comprise a three-way vacuum valve that connects the first oil container and the second oil container to a vacuum system of the engine;

and

wherein the three-way vacuum valve controls the flow of gas from the first oil container and the second oil container to the vacuum system of the engine.

6. The automatic oil-change system of claim 5, further comprising a vacuum regulator downstream of the three-way vacuum valve, wherein the vacuum regulator regulates the vacuum within the first oil container or the second oil container.

7. The automatic oil-change system of claim 5, wherein, before reaching the predetermined time, the three-way oil pump valve is set to allow the flow of oil from the first oil container to the oil pump and prevent the flow of oil from the second oil container to the oil pump, the three-way return valve is set to allow the flow of oil from the oil pan to the first oil container and prevent the flow of oil from the oil pan to the second oil container, and the three-way vacuum valve is set to allow the flow of gas from the first oil container to the vacuum system of the engine and prevent the flow of gas from the second oil container to the vacuum system of the engine;

and

wherein, once the predetermined time is reached, the three-way oil pump valve is reset to allow the flow of oil from the second oil container to the oil pump and prevent the flow of oil from the first oil container to the oil pump, the three-way return valve is reset to allow the flow of oil from the oil pan to the second oil container and prevent the flow of oil from the oil pan to the first oil container, and the three-way vacuum valve is reset to allow the flow of gas from the second oil container to the vacuum system of the engine and prevent the flow of gas from the first oil container to the vacuum system of the engine.

8. The automatic oil-change system of claim 5, wherein, upon reaching the predetermined time, the three-way oil pump valve, the three-way return valve, and the three-way vacuum valve is reset in a staggered manner so to minimize the mixture of oil from first oil container and oil from the second oil container that occurs during the oil change.

9. The automatic oil-change system of claim 5, wherein, before reaching the predetermined time, the setting of the three-way oil pump valve allows the flow of oil from the first oil container to the oil pump and prevents the flow of oil from the second oil container to the oil pump, the setting of the three-way return valve allows the flow of oil from the oil pan to the first oil container and prevents the flow of oil from the oil pan to the second oil container, and the setting of the three-way vacuum valve allows the flow of gas from the first oil container to the vacuum system of the engine and prevents the flow of gas from the second oil container to the vacuum system of the engine;

wherein, once the predetermined time is reached, the setting of the three-way oil pump valve is reset to allow the flow of oil from the second oil container to the oil pump and prevent the flow of oil from the first oil container to the oil pump;

wherein, during a stagger delay period that occurs after the predetermined time is reached, the settings of the three-way return valve and the three-way vacuum valve remain the same; and

once the stagger delay period has expired, the setting of the three-way return valve is reset to allow the flow of oil from the oil pan to the second oil container and prevent the flow of oil from the oil pan to the first oil container and the setting of the three-way vacuum valve is reset to allow the flow of gas from the second oil container to the vacuum system of the engine and prevent the flow of gas from the first oil container to the vacuum system of the engine.

10. The automatic oil-change system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time comprises a programmed milestone associated with the amount of use of the engine.

11. The automatic oil-change system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time comprises an operator chosen time.

12. The automatic oil-change system of claim 1, wherein the engine powers an automobile and the predetermined time occurs while the automobile is being driven.

13. A method for changing the oil automatically in an engine having a first oil container and a second oil container in communication therewith, comprising the steps of:

using the oil from the first oil container in the engine until a predetermined time; and

using the oil from the second oil container once the predetermined time is reached.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the engine includes multiple valves;

further comprising the step of resetting of the settings of the multiple valves to cause the engine to use oil from the second oil container once the predetermined time is reached.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the multiple valves include a three-way oil pump valve that connects the first oil container and the second oil container to an oil pump;

further comprising the step of controlling the flow of oil from the first oil container and the second oil container to the oil pump with the three-way oil pump valve.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the multiple valves further include a three-way return valve that connects a bottom fitting in the oil pan to the first oil container and the second oil container;

further comprising the step of controlling the flow of oil from the oil pan to the first oil container and the second oil container with the three-way return valve.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the multiple valves further include a three-way vacuum valve that connects the first oil container and the second oil container to a vacuum system of the engine;

further comprising the step of controlling the flow of gas from the first oil container and the second oil container to the vacuum system of the engine with the three-way vacuum valve.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the multiple valves further include a vacuum regulator downstream of the three-way vacuum valve;

further comprising the step of regulating the vacuum within the first oil container or the second oil container with the vacuum valve.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein, before reaching the predetermined time, the three-way oil pump valve is set to allow the flow of oil from the first oil container to the oil pump and prevent the flow of oil from the second oil container to the oil pump, the three-way return valve is set to allow the flow of oil from the oil pan to the first oil container and prevent the flow of oil from the oil pan to the second oil container, and the three-way vacuum valve is set to allow the flow of gas from the first oil container to the vacuum system of the engine and prevent the flow of gas from the second oil container to the vacuum system of the engine;

further comprising the steps of;

resetting the three-oil pump valve once the predetermined time is reached to allow the flow of oil from the second oil container to the oil pump and prevent the flow of oil from the first oil container to the oil pump;

resetting the three-way return valve once the predetermined time is reached to allow the flow of oil from the oil pan to the second oil container and prevent the flow of oil from the oil pan to the first oil container; and

resetting the three-way vacuum valve once the predetermined time is reached to allow the flow of gas from the second oil container to the vacuum system of the engine and prevent the flow of gas from the first oil container to the vacuum system of the engine.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of the resetting of the settings of the three-way oil pump valve, the three-way return valve, and the three-way vacuum valve, once the predetermined time is reached, in a staggered manner so to minimize the mixture of oil from first oil container and oil from the second oil container that occurs during the oil change.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein, before reaching the predetermined time, the setting of the three-way oil pump valve allows the flow of oil from the first oil container to the oil pump and prevents the flow of oil from the second oil container to the oil pump, the setting of the three-way return valve allows the flow of oil from the oil pan to the first oil container and prevents the flow of oil from the oil pan to the second oil container, and the setting of the three-way vacuum valve allows the flow of gas from the first oil container to the vacuum system of the engine and prevents the flow of gas from the second oil container to the vacuum system of the engine;

further comprising the steps of;

resetting the setting of the three-way oil pump valve once the predetermined time is reached to allow the flow of oil from the second oil container to the oil pump and prevent the flow of oil from the first oil container to the oil pump;

during a stagger delay period that occurs after the predetermined time is reached, maintaining the same settings of the three-way return valve and the three-way vacuum valve; and

once the stagger delay period has expired, resetting the setting of the three-way return valve to allow the flow of oil from the oil pan to the second oil container and prevent the flow of oil from the oil pan to the first oil container and resetting the setting of the three-way vacuum valve to allow the flow of gas from the second oil container to the vacuum system of the engine and prevent the flow of gas from the first oil container to the vacuum system of the engine.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined time comprises a programmed milestone associated with the amount of use of the engine.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined time comprises an operator chosen time.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the engine powers an automobile and the predetermined time occurs while the automobile is being driven.