Drain Apparatus for Vacuum Pump Oil Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drain apparatuses are not specifically designed for vacuum pumps/compressors, leading to messy and environmentally unsafe oil changes due to the pressurized oil spray, and lack of support for the machine during the process, making it difficult to manage oil changes in field or rooftop locations.
Innovation Solution
A drain apparatus that structurally supports portable machines, captures and contains pressurized oil splatter, and provides a convenient storage solution, featuring a housing with a base, surrounding sidewall, and a divider that separates the interior into regions to manage oil drainage and storage, with a design that accommodates the unique needs of vacuum pumps/compressors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If oil change is done using a bucket with the vacuum pump placed on an elevated ledge, then the oil can be drained, but the oil discharges under pressure spraying and only a portion goes into the bucket while the rest ends up on the roof, walls, and on the person changing the oil
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized drain apparatus as an intermediary device between the oil drain plug and the collection container. This apparatus includes a funnel-shaped receptacle that receives the pressurized oil spray, channels it through a controlled path, and directs it into a collection container, preventing uncontrolled dispersion onto the roof, walls, and person.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful pressurized oil spray into a beneficial controlled flow. The funnel-shaped receptacle is designed to intercept the spray pattern and redirect it into a manageable stream that flows into the collection container, transforming the problematic spray into a useful controlled discharge.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a specialized drain apparatus is designed for vacuum pumps/compressors to contain pressurized oil spray, then oil change cleanliness and safety improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drain apparatus is segmented into distinct functional components: a funnel-shaped receptacle for receiving spray, a collection container for storing oil, and a discharge mechanism for removing full containers. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall design relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain apparatus is designed to be universally applicable to various vacuum pump and compressor models. The funnel-shaped receptacle can accommodate different drain plug positions and orientations, and the collection container can be removed and replaced, making the apparatus versatile for different applications without requiring model-specific customization.
3Productivity
If the drain apparatus includes a divider that separates the housing interior into regions for oil drainage and storage, then oil management efficiency improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing interior is segmented by a divider into distinct regions: one for receiving and draining oil, and another for storage. This segmentation is achieved through a relatively simple partition wall that divides the internal space, allowing efficient oil management while maintaining ease of manufacture through straightforward structural division.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a drain apparatus and method that is adapted to support a portable machine, the apparatus includes a housing with a base, and a surrounding sidewall extending from the base defining an interior. Further included is a margin platform that includes an inner and outer periphery, the outer periphery is adjacent to the surrounding sidewall, the margin platform is oppositely disposed from the base. Also included is a divider disposed adjacent to the inner periphery, the divider having a convex configuration facing the base, the margin platform and the divider separates the interior into a first region and a second region. The divider having an aperture for communication between the first and second regions, the housing having an opening between the second region and an exterior environment. The margin platform supports the portable machine that is suspended over the divider.