Acute-Angle Drain Tube for Complete Oil Evacuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods fail to achieve complete and efficient evacuation of spent oil from oil pans, particularly those with irregularly configured or positioned drain plug openings, leading to incomplete oil removal and potential contamination of new oil with sludge and residue.
Innovation Solution
A drain tube with a first tubular region, an arcuate tubular region, and a second region forming an acute angle, designed to facilitate complete evacuation of oil pans by creating a unique fluid channel that directs oil flow effectively, especially when used in conjunction with a vacuum process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional drain plug opening is used in the oil pan, then the oil pan structure is simple, but complete evacuation of spent oil is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The drain tube is divided into multiple functional regions: a first tubular region for insertion through the drain plug opening, a second region with longitudinal openings for oil evacuation, and an arcuate tubular region for directional flow control. This segmentation allows each region to perform its specific function optimally, achieving complete oil evacuation while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The arcuate tubular region introduces a spatial dimension change, forming an acute angle between the first and second regions. This angular configuration redirects oil flow into corners and crevices of the oil pan that would be inaccessible with a straight drain tube, enabling complete evacuation without significantly increasing device complexity.
2Productivity
If the drain plug opening is located on the side wall of the oil pan, then the oil pan architecture is compact, but complete spent oil removal is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The arcuate tubular region employs a curved configuration that allows the drain tube to navigate the compact oil pan architecture and reach spent oil in corners and difficult-to-access areas. This curvature enables complete oil removal from side-wall drain configurations without requiring complex manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The second region with longitudinal openings acts as an intermediary that facilitates oil flow from the oil pan interior to the exterior. These openings allow oil to be drawn out through the drain tube while the arcuate configuration mediates the directional change needed to access all oil pan regions, simplifying the evacuation process.
3Productivity
If spent oil and sludge remain in the oil pan during evacuation, then the evacuation process is faster, but the new oil becomes contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The drain tube design extracts spent oil and sludge from the oil pan through its longitudinal openings and arcuate configuration. By positioning the second region with openings to contact the oil pan interior surfaces and corners, the system completely removes contaminants before new oil is added, ensuring new oil purity while maintaining evacuation speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain tube is inserted and positioned before the evacuation process begins, with its arcuate region and longitudinal openings pre-configured to reach all oil pan interior surfaces. This preliminary positioning ensures that when evacuation occurs, all spent oil and sludge are immediately drawn out through the optimized flow path, preventing contamination of subsequent new oil.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The drain tube enables efficient and complete removal of spent oil, including sludge and contaminants, from oil pans, ensuring effective oil change operations and preventing contamination of new oil, while also allowing for efficient refilling of the oil pan.
Implementation Method 1
the first tubular region and the second region form an acute angle in a first plane that is between 45° and 90°
Implementation Method 2
The second region has an end distal to the arcuate tubular region and includes a longitudinal opening defined in at least a portion of the region between the arcuate tubular region and the distal end
Data Source
AI summary
A drain tube device that includes a first tubular region, a second region and arcuate tubular region interposed between the first tubular region and the second region. In certain embodiments, the arcuate region is contiguously joined to the first tubular and the second region such that the first tubular region and the second region form an acute angle in a first plane that is between 45° and 90°. The second region has an end distal to the arcuate tubular region and includes a longitudinal opening defined in at least a portion of the region between the arcuate tubular region and the distal end. In certain embodiments, the arcuate region can also have a configuration that provides an angle located out of the first plane between the first tubular region and the second region that is between zero and 90°.