Threaded Oil Drain Plug Valve for Controlled, Cleaner Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oil drain plugs in vehicles are difficult and messy to remove, leading to inefficiencies in oil drainage processes.
Innovation Solution
A threaded drive nut system that rotates to open and close a valve assembly, allowing controlled oil flow through a hollow valve rod with distally positioned threads, featuring holes that align with the oil reservoir when open to facilitate drainage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple threaded plug is used for oil drainage, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty and messiness in removal
Solution Approach 1:
The plug is segmented into a body portion and a drive portion that can rotate relative to each other. The drive portion can be rotated independently to unscrew the body portion from the drain hole, allowing controlled removal and preventing messy oil spillage while maintaining simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The plug transitions from a static simple threaded design to a dynamic system where the drive portion can rotate relative to the body portion. This rotational movement enables controlled unscrewing and removal, improving ease of operation while keeping the structure relatively simple
2Device complexity
If a simple threaded plug is used for oil drainage, then the device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates due to inefficiency in oil drainage process
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the plug into rotatable drive portion and body portion, the system enables efficient oil drainage through controlled removal. The drive portion can be easily rotated to unscrew and remove the body portion, allowing quick and clean oil drainage without the inefficiencies of traditional simple plugs
Solution Approach 2:
The drive portion acts as an intermediary between the user's hand and the body portion. By providing a dedicated rotating drive mechanism, it enables efficient and controlled removal of the plug for oil drainage, improving productivity without significantly increasing overall structural complexity
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
Enables efficient and clean oil drainage by controlling oil flow, reducing mess and effort in the process.
Implementation Method 1
a threaded drive nut rotatable to open and close a valve assembly controlling the flow of oil from an oil reservoir. The valve assembly includes a valve body with a threaded hollow valve rod extending therethrough
Implementation Method 2
When the oil drain plug assembly is open, oil from the reservoir may flow through the holes and into the inner lumen of the hollow valve rod. From there, the oil may pass out of the proximal end of the hollow valve rod and thus drain the oil reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
An oil drain plug assembly includes a threaded drive nut rotatable to open and close a valve assembly controlling the flow of oil from an oil reservoir, the valve assembly including a valve body with a threaded hollow valve rod extending therethrough, wherein the distal end of the valve assembly is in fluid communication with the oil reservoir, the threads of the hollow valve rod are positioned on the outer surface of the hollow valve rod away from its distal end, and the threaded drive nut is threaded onto the threads of the hollow valve rod.