FR2763359A1 - Pneumatic extractor for used oil from internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

The extractor has a Venturi air discharge outlet (E) for compressed air to form the vacuum in the transfer tank (G). The extractor can have a safety system with a level valve (T,U,V,Y) which prevents the aspiration into the tank when a maximum level is attained. The extractor can have a compressed air scavenging feed (M) which evacuates the oil contained in the tank towards a storage container. The extractor can have two three-way valves to control flow between the crankcase, tank and compressed air feed.

Description

DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to a mobile pneumatic device for emptying used oil contained in the casings of heat engines fitted to vehicles or machines.

State of the art
Currently, the used oil is drained from the engines either: a) by gravity to a tank which must itself be drained, b) using conventional pumps, c) by suction devices with ejectors from the type VENTURI.

The disadvantages of these methods are: a) Gravity emptying does not eliminate the residues from previous emptying. These residues accumulate throughout the life of the vehicle, which significantly reduces engine performance.

The time required for gravity flow is long. The oil cools, the fluidity decreases and the gravity flow leaves deposits at the bottom of the crankcase.

The risk of splashing out of the drain pan which spills the used oil on the ground presents a danger for operators. The gravity transfer between the drain pan and the storage place is carried out manually or requires the existence of sloping piping of sufficient dimensions for flow without obstructions. The smell is unpleasant and the cleanliness and hygiene of the premises is not respected. The downtime of personnel, vehicles and equipment is long.

b) The pumps used for draining used oils are quickly obstructed by the products they transport and require monitoring and maintenance. They are often noisy (diaphragm, lobe, peristaltic pumps) because they are very rustic.

c) The current suction devices by a VENTURI type ejector creating the vacuum in a tank have not been designed for this use. They are inexpensive but noisy, ineffective at achieving sufficient vacuum values, large consumers of compressed air (efficiency = less than one volume sucked in per 1 volume consumed) they do not have a level security system, which makes them dangerous for operators and the immediate environment because hot oil can be thrown violently by the discharge of the ejector. The operator must monitor the level in the tank to stop the suction as soon as the visible oil level reaches a maximum height. These faults explain the lack of interest that this solution arouses among users today.

On the other hand, those responsible for the Environment are trying to solve the problem posed by the uncontrolled emptying of automobile engines. Statistically, almost 60% of the oils sold are not recovered by the circuits set up for recycling.

To encourage all motorists to have the engines of their vehicles drained by the professional circuit, which would ensure total recovery of the used oils, it is necessary to offer them a solution which has undeniable advantages in terms of quality of the oil change, being itself not polluting and inexpensive.

The invention
The device which is the subject of the invention is an important technical development of the solution presented in c). It is characterized by: a) an efficient VENTURI type compressed air ejector, specially designed for this use: low noise, low air consumption (efficiency = 4 volumes sucked in for 1 consumption), reaching vacuum values close to absolute vacuum.

b) a level safety which stops the suction in the tank as soon as the oil level reaches the maximum, c) a combination of two three-way valves which allows to use the same pipe to suck and to drive the tank oil, d) safety valves for suction and flushing.

The vacuum suction technique allows a higher quality of emptying than all current solutions, it is only reserved for Automotive Professionals, it avoids any contact of used oil with mechanical devices and operators. It requires no slope to drain the oil to the storage location.

The hygiene and cleanliness of the premises comply with the most demanding standards.

Finally, it is an economical solution because it limits downtime for personnel, vehicles and equipment.

The invention presented is characterized by a mobile device comprising a compressed air ejector of the VENTURI type creating the vacuum in a transfer tank. It includes a flushing mechanism with compressed air to evacuate the oil contained in the transfer tank to the storage location.

The present invention is also characterized by a safety valve device.

This device stops the suction in the tank as soon as the oil level reaches a maximum height in order to prevent its suction by the ejector. As soon as this level is reached, a valve, calibrated to the desired vacuum, opens so that the ejector sucks in atmospheric air in order to avoid the harmful consequences for the ejector by the so-called cavitation effect ".

The present invention is also characterized by a device comprising two three-way valves which makes it possible to use a single pipe for the suction of oil from the sump to the transfer tank and its evacuation to a storage place.

The power of the ejector allows suction through the dipstick well (emptying from the top) which avoids the use of the lift or the pit, or from the bottom thanks to a commercially available valve drain plug .

The crankcases are emptied and the used oil is transferred to the storage location without contact with the operator or with delicate mechanical components.

(Valves, membranes, pistons, leaves, valves, etc ...,)
Only a compressed air supply is necessary for the operation of the installation.

Mode of use 1) Drain through the dipstick well (See diagram Fig. 1 in solid lines)
A cannula (K) connected to the suction pipe is introduced through the gauge well to the bottom of the housing (A) or, for certain passenger car models, simply connected to the top of the gauge well.

As soon as it is started up by the compressed air intake (D) on the regulator (L) supplying the ejector (E), it creates a vacuum in the transfer tank (G). The vacuum created is transmitted to the engine to be drained through three-way valves (H) and (J) and by the suction pipe (C).

 A liquid plug is then established between the casing to be drained (A) and the transfer tank (G). This liquid plug maintains a maximum vacuum which allows the rapid passage of all of the oil to be drained towards the transfer tank (G).

As soon as the emptying is carried out, all the used oil being in the transfer tank (G), atmospheric air is sucked into the casing (A) and penetrates massively into the transfer tank (G). The vacuum then drops across the entire circuit. The operator can then stop the suction by disconnecting the compressed air intake (D), which stops the supply to the ejector (E).

The emptying operation is finished.

2) Emptying from below with valve plug (See diagram in dotted line Fig. 1)
The casing (A) of the motor to be drained is previously fitted with a commercially available valve plug (B) through which the suction pipe (C) can be connected without leaking oil. The emptying operation proceeds as above.

3) Security level (See diagrams fig. 1 and 3)
If the maximum level (X) is reached, the suction in the transfer tank (G) is stopped by means of a level controller whose float (V) approaches the valve (T) of the seat (U ) of which it plugs the orifice (Y), which prohibits the maintenance of the vacuum in the tank (G). The safety valve (S) calibrated to the desired vacuum, opens to the outside and the ejector (E) sucks in atmospheric air.

 It is then necessary to flush the oil from the transfer tank (G) to the storage location (Q).

4) Hunting (see diagram Fia. 2)
The piping (C) is connected to the oil storage tank (Q). The compressed air intake (D) is connected to the flushing regulator (M) set to the flushing pressure (0.5 bar). The two three-way valves (H) and (J) are tilted. A pressure is then established in the transfer tank (G) which drives the used oil to the storage place (O).

The visual level (N) makes it possible to check the quantity of oil contained in the transfer tank (G) before carrying out a new draining.

The device thus designed is capable of being used for the emptying of vehicles and machines comprising casings of capacity varying from 3 to 500 liters of oil, such as passenger cars and utilities, trucks, coaches, buses, tractors, public works machinery, compressors, marine and aircraft engines, etc ...,

Claims (5)

 CLAIMS 1) Mobile vacuum suction device for draining used oil contained in the casings (A) of heat engines fitted to vehicles or machines, characterized by a specially designed compressed air ejector (E) of the VENTURI type for this application, creating a vacuum in a transfer tank (G). 2) Device according to claim in 1) characterized in that it comprises a valve level safety system (T, U, V, Y) which stops the suction in the tank as soon as the maximum level (x) d used oil is reached. 3) Device according to any one of claims in 1), characterized by a compressed air flushing system (M) which discharges the oil contained in the transfer tank (G) towards the storage place (Q) . 4) Device according to claim in 3), characterized by the use of two three-way valves (J and H) which allow the use of a single pipe (C) for the suction of the used oil from the crankcase (A ) to the transfer tank (G) and its flushing with compressed air from the transfer tank (G) to a storage location (Q). 5) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the use of a safety valve (S) calibrated to the desired vacuum, which allows the vacuum generator (E) to draw atmospheric air as soon as the valve level (T, U, V, Y) stops the suction of air into the tank (G).