Aircraft Engine Oil Cap With Segmented Valves

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing caps for aircraft engine oil tanks are inefficient for filling and measuring oil levels due to the design of the safety valve, which prevents air from escaping and can lead to incorrect oil level indications, potentially endangering the engine.

Innovation Solution

A cap design featuring an elongated tubular body with a feed valve located near the inlet, a monostable valve controlled by a dipstick, and a filtering member, allowing for easy filling and accurate oil level measurement by separating the feed and monostable valves and positioning the feed valve above the maximum oil level.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the safety valve is located at the bottom of the funnel-shaped body, then it prevents oil outflow from the tank, but it also prevents air from escaping during filling, leading to incomplete filling and inaccurate oil level indication

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil outflow preventionVSAvoidfilling speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention divides the valve system into two separate functions: a safety valve at the bottom for preventing oil outflow, and a new air escape valve positioned at the top of the tubular body for allowing air to escape during filling. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by placing each valve where it can perform its specific function without interfering with the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The air escape valve acts as an intermediary element that facilitates the air evacuation process during filling. By providing a dedicated pathway for air to escape through the tubular body, it mediates between the incoming oil flow and the trapped air, enabling complete and rapid filling without the safety valve needing to be repositioned.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the safety valve is located at the bottom of the funnel-shaped body, then it prevents oil outflow from the tank, but it makes filling the tank difficult and slow

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil outflow preventionVSAvoidfilling ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the safety valve is located at the bottom of the funnel-shaped body, then it prevents oil outflow from the tank, but it does not allow the desired oil level to be reached inside the tank

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil outflow preventionVSAvoidoil quantity in tank

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention adds a vertical dimension to the valve system by positioning the air escape valve at the top of the tubular body, while the safety valve remains at the bottom. This dimensional arrangement allows both valves to function simultaneously without conflict, enabling complete filling to the desired oil level while maintaining oil outflow prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Reliability

If the safety valve is located at the bottom of the funnel-shaped body, then it prevents oil outflow from the tank, but it makes it difficult to determine the exact oil level

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil outflow preventionVSAvoidoil level measurement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP1921284B1Cap for safely filling and closing an engine oil tank, in particular of an aircraft engine

Publication Date: 2012.01.04 AVIO

Figure 1
Figure 2

AI summary

A cap (4), for safely filling and closing an engine oil tank (1), in particular of an aircraft engine, has an elongated tubular body (6) for feeding oil into the tank; a removable cover body (25) for closing an end portion (8) of the tubular body; an oil feed valve (23) located close to the end portion of the tubular body (6) and movable between an open position, allowing oil flow into the tank, and a closed position, preventing oil outflow from the tank; a filter (32) upstream from the oil feed valve; a dipstick (26) for measuring the oil level in the tank, and which is housed in the tubular body (6) and carried by the removable cover body (25); and a monostable valve (27) controlled by the dipstick (26).