Oil change and recycling system

• US 5,454,960 A
• Filed: 11/10/1993
• Issued: 10/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cell Technology Incorporated (Astellas Pharma Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Building Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Newsom, Bob G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Drodge, Joseph W.
• Application Number:
  US08/149,904
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 210/171, 210/235, 210/248, 210/767, 210/805, 123/196 A, 137/312, 141/86, 184/1.5, 184/106, 220/573, 222/108
• US Class Current: 210/805
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/004 and each contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/385 Frames, corner posts or pallet converters, e.g. for facilitating stacking of charged pallets
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/44 Elements or devices for locating articles on platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00268 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00348 contact surface of other form
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00018 under tension
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00111 Arrangements of flexible binders
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/0408 Sump drainage devices, e.g. valves, plugs
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/0458 Lubricant filling and draining
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/0483 with a lubricant cartridge for facilitating the change
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 31/002 Drain pans
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5762 With leakage or drip collecting

Abstract

An oil recycling system and method which uses the same container to supply new oil and recycle old oil is accomplished through the use of a transfer tube designed for draining oil from the container into an engine and mutually exclusively oil from the engine oil sump into the container. The invention includes an oil collection bag which receives oil draining from an interface between the engine and an oil filter and transfers the oil via an oil collection bag tube into the container concurrently with oil draining from the engine via the transfer tube into the container.

Claims

1. An oil recycling system, comprising:

a container;

a transfer tube designed for draining oil from said container into an engine and arranged for draining oil from the engine oil sump into said container;

an oil collection bag arranged for receiving oil draining from an interface between said engine and an oil filter and from said oil filter; and

said oil collection bag including an oil collection bag tube arranged for draining oil collected in said bag into said container concurrently with and via a separate flow path from oil draining from said engine oil sump via said transfer tube into said container.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said transfer tube includes:

a flow controlling conduit connecting said container to a first end of said transfer tube;

an oil drain adapter fitting attached to said engine oil sump;

a flow controlling valve incorporated in said oil drain adapter fitting;

an oil drain conduit incorporated in a second end of said transfer tube; and

said oil drain conduit including means for completing a fluid transfer coupling between said oil drain and said transfer tube and a means for opening said flow controlling valve in response to the connection of said oil drain conduit to said oil drain.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said oil collection bag includes a first opening handle dimensioned to slide over said oil filter and an oil filter connection flange of said engine for positioning said collection bag under the interface between said oil filter and said engine;

and

a second handle dimensioned to fit over said oil filter and hold said bag in an open position to receive oil draining from said interface when said oil filter is loosened.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said container includes a first opening to receive said transfer tube;

and

a second opening for receiving said oil collection bag tube.

5. An oil recycling system as defined by claim 1, wherein said container includes two resealable openings.

6. An oil recycling system as defined by claim 5, comprising:

a plurality of said containers;

a bottom pallet configured to hold a portion of said plurality of said containers in a first layer relatively positioned for optimum packing density;

each of said containers including a bottom configured to permit interlocking stacking of additional layers of said plurality of said containers relatively positioned for optimum packing density;

a top pallet configured identically to said bottom pallet and to interlock the uppermost layer of said layers of said containers.

7. An oil recycling system as defined by claim 6, comprising:

a plurality of corner load bearing members connecting said bottom pallet to said top pallet.

8. An oil recycling system, comprising:

a container including first and second openings;

a transfer tube designed for draining oil from said container first opening into an engine and arranged for draining oil from the engine oil sump into said container;

an oil collection bag arranged for receiving oil draining from an interface between said engine and an oil filter and from said oil filter;

said oil collection bag including a first handle dimensioned to slide over said oil filter and an oil filter connection flange of said engine for positioning said collection bag under the interface between said oil filter and said engine and a second handle dimensioned to fit over said oil filter and hold said bag in an open position to receive oil draining from said interface when said oil filter is loosened;

said oil collection bag including an oil collection bag tube arranged for draining oil collected in said bag into said container via said container second opening concurrently with oil draining from said engine via said transfer tube into said container via said container first opening;

a flow controlling conduit connecting said container first opening to a first end of said transfer tube;

an oil drain adapter fitting attached to said engine oil sump;

a flow controlling valve incorporated in said oil drain adapter;

an oil drain conduit incorporated in a second end of said transfer tube;

said oil drain conduit including means for completing a fluid transfer coupling between said oil drain adapter fitting and said transfer tube and a means for opening said flow controlling valve in response to connection of said oil drain conduit to said oil drain adapter fitting.

9. An oil recycling system as defined by claim 8, comprising:

a plurality of said containers;

first and second identical pallets including a plurality of knobs on one side to hold a portion of said plurality of said containers in a first layer relatively positioned for optimum packing density and on the reverse side to receive each of said containers including a bottom configured to permit interlocking stacking on said pallets and additional layers of said plurality of said containers relatively positioned for optimum packing density.

10. An oil recycling system as defined by claim 9, comprising:

a plurality of corner load bearing members for support for stacking additional successive pallets.

11. A method for recycling engine oil, including the steps of:

placing one end of a transfer tube relative to a collection container so that oil from said transfer tube will run into said collection container;

connecting the other end of said transfer tube to an oil sump drain adapter on said engine oil sump;

opening a flow controlling valve in said oil sump drain adapter by said step of connecting the other end of said transfer tube to the oil sump drain adapter of said engine oil sump;

supporting an oil collection bag under an interface of an oil filter with said engine;

placing the end of a drain tube for said oil collection bag relative to the collection container so that oil will run into said collection container; and

loosening said oil filter until oil runs from said oil filter engine interface into said oil collection bag.

12. A method for recycling engine oil as defined by claim 11 wherein said steps of placing one end of a transfer tube relative to a collection container so that oil from said transfer tube will run into said collection container and placing the end of a drain tube for said oil collection bag relative to the collection container so that oil will run into said collection container are accomplished concurrently.

13. A method for recycling engine oil as defined by claim 12 including the step of opening a valve to permit oil to flow from said drain tube into said container after said step of connecting the other end of said drain tube to the oil sump drain adapter of said engine.

14. A method for recycling engine oil as defined by claim 12, including the steps of:

removing the stretch wrap from a plurality of collection containers of the type which include two resealable openings, said collection containers arranged in a plurality of layers wherein each layer consists of a plurality of said collection containers containing fresh oil and the bottom layer of said plurality of layers are secured in position on a pallet by the configuration of said pallet;

removing one of said fresh oil containing collection containers from the topmost of said layers;

opening one of said resealable openings of said removed fresh oil containing collection container;

connecting an oil transfer tube to said opened resealable opening;

positioning said removed fresh oil containing collection container above the oil fill opening of an engine which has been prepared to receive fresh oil;

positioning the unconnected end of said oil transfer tube into said oil fill opening;

opening a flow control means to allow fresh oil to flow from said removed collection container into said engine; and

after said fresh oil has been drained from said removed collection container, collecting spent oil in said removed collection container and storing it on said pallet.