Chamber and engine cleaning apparatus and method

• US 5,063,896 A
• Filed: 08/17/1990
• Issued: 11/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Automotive Technologies Incorporated Joint Ownership, David Morgan-Busby, MCY III Corp, Super Flush, Inc., Super Flush Incorporated Joint Ownership
• Original Assignee: Auto Dialysis, Inc.
• Inventors: Hyatt, Charles K., Cornelison, Irvin H. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamen, Noah P.
• Application Number:
  US07/568,870
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 123/198 A, 123/25 G, 134/21, 134/22.1, 134/22.12, 134/22.14, 134/30, 134/34, 134/40, 134/42, 134/76, 134/94, 134/102, 134/169 A, 134/22.19
• US Class Current: 123/198.00A
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2275/14 Direct injection into combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/04 Cleaning of, preventing corrosion or erosion in, or preventing unwanted deposits in, combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

The invention comprises an apparatus for cleaning chambers such as those of engines and transmissions, including a reservoir, a quantity of synthetic cleaning fluid disposed in the reservoir, a first channel for fluidly connecting the reservoir with a first oil passageway opening in an internal combustion engine, a second channel for fluidly connecting the reservoir to a second oil passageway opening in the internal combustion engine, and a pump for pumping the synthetic cleaning fluid from the reservoir through the first channel and into the engine and then back to the reservoir through the second channel. The invention also comprises a process for cleaning internal combustion engines including the steps of draining the oil from the engine, attaching a first conduit to a first oil passageway opeining in the engine, attaching a second conduit to a second oil passageway opening in the engine, pumping a first quantity of synthetic cleaning fluid through the first conduit and into the engine using a pump, and pumping synthetic cleaning fluid out of the second opening in the engine through the second conduit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning chambers such as those of engines and transmissions, the apparatus comprising:

a reservoir

a quantity of synthetic cleaning fluid disposed in said reservoir;

first channel means for fluidly connecting said reservoir with a first opening in the chamber;

second channel means for fluidly connecting said reservoir to a second opening in the chamber;

pump means for pumping said synthetic cleaning fluid from said reservoir through said first channel means, into and through the chamber and then back to said reservoir through said second channel means; and

means for injecting lubricant into the chamber.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said synthetic cleaning fluid is AD2000™

Flush.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising filter means disposed in said second channel means to filter the synthetic cleaning fluid.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lubricant injecting means includes funnel means for holding a quantity of lubricant and an injection valve disposed to selectively fluid communicate said funnel means with said chamber, and means for selectively allowing either said cleaning fluid or said lubricant to flow into said internal combustion engine.

5. An apparatus for cleaning chambers such as those of engines and transmissions, the apparatus comprising:

reservoir means for storing a quantity of cleaning fluid therein;

pump means for transporting cleaning fluid from said reservoir means to an inlet of the chamber and for transporting cleaning fluid from an outlet of the chamber to said reservoir means, said pump means including a first inlet port, a first outlet port, a second inlet port, a second outlet port, and a pressure port;

an air valve;

an inlet valve;

an outlet valve;

first conduit means for connecting an inlet of said air valve with a source of air pressure;

second conduit means for connecting an outlet of said air valve with said pressure port of said pump means to supply pressurized air for driving said pump means;

third conduit means for flow communicating an inlet port of said inlet valve with ambient air;

fourth conduit means for flow communicating an outlet port of said inlet valve with said first inlet port of the pump means;

fifth conduit means for flow communicating said fourth conduit means with said reservoir means;

sixth conduit means for flow communicating said first outlet port of said pump means with a first opening the chamber;

seventh conduit means for flow communicating a second opening of the chamber with said second inlet of said pump means;

eighth conduit means for flow communicating said seventh conduit means with an outlet of said outlet valve;

ninth conduit means for flow communicating an inlet opening of said outlet valve with ambient air;

tenth conduit means for flow communicating said second outlet of said pump means with said reservoir means; and

control means for regulating the positions of said air valve, said inlet valve, and said outlet valve in accordance with a predetermined program.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising filter means disposed in said tenth conduit means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a quantity of synthetic cleaning fluid disposed in said reservoir means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said synthetic cleaning fluid is AD2000™

Flush.

9. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a heating element for heating the cleaning fluid disposed in the reservoir.

10. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said pump means includes a double diaphragm pump.

11. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising means for injecting lubricant into the engine.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said lubricant injecting means includes funnel means for holding a quantity of lubricant, block valve means for preventing fluid flow from said reservoir means to the engine, and injection valve means for selectively fluid communicating said funnel means with an oil passageway of the engine.

13. A process for cleaning engines comprising the steps of:

draining the oil from the engine;

attaching a first conduit to a first oil passageway opening in the engine;

attaching a second conduit to a second oil passageway opening in the engine;

pumping a first quantity of synthetic cleaning fluid comprising detergent through said first conduit and into the engine; and

pumping said synthetic cleaning fluid out of the engine through said second opening and said second conduit.

14. A process according to claim 13, wherein said synthetic cleaning fluid is AD2000™

Flush.

15. A process according to claim 13, wherein said first oil passageway opening is an oil filter opening and said second oil passageway opening is a drain plug opening.

16. A process according to claim 13, wherein the step of pumping said first quantity of synthetic cleaning fluid into the engine includes pumping approximately 4.5 gallons of synthetic cleaning fluid into the engine over a period of approximately 3 minutes.

17. A process according to claim 13, further comprising the step of idling the pump for a period of time to allow cleaning liquid in the engine to soak in the engine.

18. A process according to claim 17, further comprising the step of pumping a second quantity of cleaning liquid through said engine after the step of idling.

19. A process according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of evacuating said second quantity of liquid from the engine through said second conduit and drawing air through the engine to dry the inside of the engine after said second quantity of liquid is evacuated from the engine.

20. A process according to claim 13, further comprising the step of heating the cleaning fluid to between about 80°

C. and 110°

C. prior to the step of pumping said cleaning fluid into the engine.

21. A process according to claim 13, further comprising the step of injecting a quantity of lubricant into the engine after the step of pumping the cleaning fluid out of the engine.

22. A process for cleaning an engine, comprising the steps of:

draining oil from the engine;

attaching a first conduit to a first oil passageway opening in the engine;

attaching a second conduit to a second oil passageway opening in the engine;

conducting a first quantity of synthetic cleaning fluid comprising detergent through said first conduit and into the engine while the engine is in a non-operating state; and

conducting said synthetic cleaning fluid out of the engine through said second opening and said conduit.