Removable Oil Cap Channel for Contained Small-Engine Oil Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for changing oil in small engine devices, such as using siphon pumps or removing entire oil caps, are inefficient and pose safety hazards due to oil leakage, which can lead to environmental degradation and health risks.
Innovation Solution
A removable oil cap kit comprising a cap with a sidewall and interior surface, a dipstick, and an oil retention bag, where the cap has protrusions for coupling with the engine and a channel for retaining the bag, allowing for secure oil collection and minimization of spills.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If siphon pumps or entire oil cap removal methods are used for oil changes, then oil can be drained from the engine, but oil leakage occurs causing safety hazards and environmental degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary containment system consisting of a sealed oil cap with an integrated drainage valve and collection chamber. This intermediary structure mediates between the engine oil reservoir and the external environment, allowing controlled oil drainage while preventing uncontrolled leakage. The collection chamber captures draining oil, and the sealed cap prevents spills during the entire oil change process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful leakage problem by separating the oil drainage function from the traditional open cap system. The drainage valve is extracted as a controlled opening mechanism, and the collection chamber is extracted as a separate containment space within the cap structure. This extraction allows oil to be removed from the engine in a controlled manner while preventing it from contacting the external environment.
2Ease of operation
If traditional oil cap designs are used, then the oil reservoir is sealed, but the oil change process requires external containers and causes physical strain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the oil cap structure itself: the cap serves as both the reservoir seal and the collection container, the drainage valve integrates the drainage function, and the cap structure itself becomes the collection chamber. This merging eliminates the need for separate external containers and reduces the number of handling operations required during oil changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The oil cap system performs self-service by containing its own drainage function. The collection chamber within the cap captures oil as it drains, eliminating the need for external collection containers. The integrated design allows the cap to serve its containment function while simultaneously managing the drainage process, reducing physical strain on the operator.
3Ease of operation
If the oil cap is designed with drainage functionality, then oil changes become easier, but the cap structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cap structure into distinct functional zones: the main cap body for sealing, the integrated collection chamber for oil storage, and the drainage valve mechanism for controlled drainage. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall structural integrity. The modular segmentation makes the complex functions manageable and manufacturable.
Data Source
AI summary
An oil change cap and system are described. A removable oil cap kit includes a removable oil cap and an oil retention bag. The removable oil cap incudes a sidewall and an interior surface, the interior surface has an opening extending therethrough. The sidewall includes an inner portion and an outer portion. The outer portion of the sidewall includes a channel formed therein for retaining an oil retention bag. The inner portion of the sidewall includes one or more protrusions to couple the removable oil cap with the oil receptacle of a motor.