GB2366343A

GB2366343A - Oil collection device

Info

Publication number: GB2366343A
Application number: GB0021684A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Jordan; Russell Jordan
Original assignee: URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES L
Current assignee: URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES L
Priority date: 2000-09-05
Filing date: 2000-09-05
Publication date: 2002-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2020-09-05
Also published as: GB0021684D0; AU2001284232A1; GB2366343B; WO2002021039A1

Abstract

An oil collection device comprises a tray 10 arranged to carry an oleophilic material 22 (figs 2 and 3). A retainer member 24 is provided to retain the oleophilic material in position, the retainer member 24 being perforated to expose at least some of the oleophilic material. The device is preferably used to catch dripping oil from stationary vehicles.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> "Engine Oil Collection Device" This invention relates to a device for collecting the engine oil that tends to drop from motor vehicle engines.

Areas in which motor vehicles are parked or are stationary for some time 5 tend to become marked by engine oil that drips from the engines of the vehicles. Areas in which this occurs include car parks and driveways. Where a car park or driveway is asphalt surfaced, the oil can damage the surface, over time. Further, the marks caused by the oil are unsightly and are difficult to remove. Increasingly, car parks and driveways are surfaced with block paving. Again, the 10 marks caused by the oil are unsightly and are difficult to remove.

Where oil is dripped on to a car park or driveway, rainwater falling on to the car park or driveway may wash away some of the oil. The oil is then washed, with the water, into storm water drains. If the contents of such drains are allowed to enter, for example, rivers without first being treated, then 15 pollution may occur as a result.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for collecting engine oil which obviates or mitigates the above described problems.

According to the present invention there is provided an oil collection device comprising a tray arranged to be secured to a surface to be protected, an 20 oleophilic material located upon the tray, and a retainer member located to retain

the oleophilic material upon the tray, the retainer member being provided with openings exposing at least some of the oleophilic material.

In use, the device is secured to a surface to be protected so as to be positioned beneath the engine of a parked or stationary vehicle. Once so positioned, oil drips from the engine will either land upon the oleophilic material or will land upon the retainer member and then be allowed to drain towards the oleophilic material. The oleophilic material retains the oil incident thereon whilst permitting, for example, rain water incident thereon to flow through the material without carrying oil from the material.

The tray is conveniently shaped to define ridges serving as guides to assist in correctly positioning a vehicle over the device. The ridges may be open- ended. If desired, a plug may be receivable within an open end of at least one of the ridges. The plug may carry a reflective component, assisting in guiding the parking of a vehicle in the correct position relative to the device outside of daylight hours. Alternatively, the plug may be adapted to permit a plurality of devices to be connected to one another to permit protection of an increased area.

The retainer member conveniently comprises a perforated rubber or rubber-like material mat. A lock arrangement may be provided to restrain unauthorised removal of the retainer member.

The oleophilic material conveniently takes the form of a pad or sheet,

preferably of blown polypropylene material.

If desired, a stop may be mounted at an end of the device to guide in parking of a vehicle over the device, for example where the device is mounted upon a surface where the parking spaces are not defined by raised kerbs or the like.

The invention will further be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating an alternative arrangement; and Figure 4 is a plan view of a further alternative arrangement.

The oil collection device illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a tray 10 of pressed or rolled galvanised steel construction. The tray 10 is shaped to define a central, flat region 12 located between a pair of raised ridges 14. The tray 10 further includes, adjacent the ridges 14, fixing regions 16 provided with openings 18 through which fixing bolts or the like may extend to secure the tray 10 upon a surface to be protected. The ridges 14 are spaced apart from one another by a distance less than the lateral spacing of the front wheels of a motor

vehicle such that a motor vehicle can be positioned over the tray 10 with the engine of the motor vehicle located above the central region 12 of the device. The ridges 14 assist in guiding the motor vehicle to the correct position as, if the vehicle is not in the correct position, one of the wheels of the vehicle will ride up or over one of the ridges 14 providing an indication to the driver of the vehicle that some remedial action needs to be taken to correctly locate the vehicle over the device.

The central region 12 of the tray 10 carries a sheet of an oleophilic material in the form of a blown polypropylene pad 20. The pad 20 may be of dimensions such as to substantially cover a11 of the region 12. Alternatively, several pads may be provided to cover the region 12 of the tray 10. In order to hold the pad 22 in position, a retainer member is provided. The retainer member takes the form of a rubber or rubber-like material perforated mat 24 of dimensions substantially equal to the dimensions of the region 12. The mat 24 is positioned on top of the pad 22. Although the mat 24 may simply retain the pad 22 in position by virtue of the weight of the mat 24, in order to restrict unauthorised access to the pad 22, it is desirable to provide some form of locking mechanism to secure the mat 24 in position. The locking mechanism may simply comprise a screw-threaded bolt secured to the tray 10, the bolt projecting through a suitably positioned opening provided in the mat 24, a suitable clamping

member being located over the bolt and clamped in position to secure the mat 24 to the tray 10 using a suitable screw-threaded nut. Rather than use a single bolt, a pair of bolts may be provided at each end of the tray 10, each clamping member being mounted upon both of the bolts. It will be appreciated that other techniques could be used to secure the mat 24 in position.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the ridges 14 are of open-ended form. If desired, the ridges 14 may be shaped to be of closed-ended form. However the manufacture of a tray 10 having ridges 14 of open-ended form is thought to be easier as it may be relatively easy to produce using an extrusion or cold rolling technique. Where the ridges 14 are of open-ended form, the open ends of the ridges 14 may be closed by introducing plugs or bungs 26 into the ends thereof. As shown in Figure 1, the plugs 26 conveniently carry inserts 28 of reflective form to assist in indicating the location of the device to vehicle drivers outside of daylight hours.

In use, the device is secured in position upon a surface to be protected, for example a parking space or a driveway using any suitable technique, for example using fixing bolts arranged to extend through the openings 18. The positioning of the device is such that, when a vehicle is parked upon the surface, the engine of the vehicle is located over the tray 10. Once installed, when a vehicle is to be parked upon the surface, the driver of the vehicle simply positions the vehicle

such that the front wheels of the vehicle straddle the device. When the vehicle is correctly positioned, the vehicle should be completely out of contact with the device. Should, during the positioning of the vehicle, one of the wheels of the vehicle come into contact with one of the ridges 14, then as the vehicle ridge up or over the ridge 14, this will provide an indication to the driver of the vehicle that the vehicle is not correctly positioned, and that some remedial action is necessary to correctly position the vehicle over the device.

Where a vehicle is correctly positioned over the device, engine oil dripping from the engine of the vehicle will either pass through the perforations of the mat 24 and be incident directly on the pad 22, or alternatively the oil will be incident upon the mat 24 from where it can drain through the perforations to the pad 22. Since the pad 22 is of an oleophilic material, oil incident thereon is retained by the pad 22. Should water be incident upon the device, the water will flow through the pad 22 and not be retained thereby, the water flowing from the tray to a suitable drain in the usual manner. As the pad 22 is of an oleophilic material, the oil collected thereby will not be released when water flows through the material, thus the flow of water from the device will not be contaminated by oil.

After the device has been in use for some time, the pad 22 must be replaced. This is achieved by releasing the locking mechanism associated with

the mat 24, lifting the mat 24 from the tray 10, replacing the pad 22 and then re- securing the mat 24 in position to retain the pad 22 upon the device.

Where the device is used in a car park in which the spaces of the car park are defined by raised kerbs, then the device may be positioned such that one end thereof abuts the kerbs. In such circumstances, the plugs 26 need only be secured to one the of each of the ridges 14 remote from the kerb. Where the device is used in a position in which the vehicle parking spaces are not defined by kerbs, then both ends of each ridge 14 are conveniently closed by plugs 26.

If desired, the edges of the region 12 not bounded by the ridges 14 may be provided with upstanding lips serving to assist in retaining the pad 22 in position. In such an arrangement, the lock arrangement may comprise, for example, a loop of an elastic material secured to the mat 24, for example by being looped through one of the openings of the mat 24. The elastic material may carry, for example, a metallic lock member arranged to be passed, lengthwise, through an opening formed in one of the lips, and then manipulated to an orientation in which it will not pass back through the opening. Obviously, several such lock arrangements may be provided if desired.

Figure 3 illustrates a modification to the arrangement of Figures l and 2. In the arrangement of Figure 3, each ridge 14 takes a corrugated form. It is thought that the use of corrugations will improve the strength of the ridges and

their ability to withstand vehicles being driven over the ridges 14. Clearly, where the-shapes of the ridges are altered, then the plugs 26 should be of a suitably altered shape.

Figure 4 illustrates a modification to the arrangement of Figures l and 2. In the arrangement of Figure 4, a stop member 30 is secured across one end of the device, the stop member 30 conveniently being secured in position by being provided with projections which extend into the open ends of the ridges 14. The stop member 30 is designed to provide an indication to a vehicle driver to prevent the vehicle being driven to far forwards relative to the device. The stop member is conveniently of generally triangular cross-section such that should the wheels of the vehicle come into contact with the stop member, a degree of resistance to further movement of the vehicle will be felt by the driver providing an indication that the vehicle should not be moved any further forward as, should the vehicle be moved any further forwards, there is a risk that engine oil drips may miss the device and be incident upon the surface.

In a further alternative arrangement, two devices of the type described hereinbefore may be arranged in an end-to-end configuration. In order to secure the devices to one another, appropriately shaped connector members may be located within the open ends of the ridges 14 instead of the plugs 26. It will be appreciated, however, that other techniques could be used to connect the devices

together. Such configuration may be useful where a large area is to be protected, for example a garage forecourt or a drive through food outlet.

It is thought that, in some circumstances, in order to ensure that the device is correctly positioned to catch oil drips, it may be desirable to modify the shape of the device, for example to remove a corner therefrom. This may be desirable, for example, where the parking spaces of a car park are angled, rather than perpendicular, to a driveway or road.

Although in the description hereinbefore, the tray 10 is described as being of galvanised steel construction, it will be appreciated that alternative materials could be used. For example, the tray 10 could be of a moulded plastics or rubber-like material. Further, alternative fixing techniques could be used for securing the device in position upon a surface. The mat 24 need not be of the form described hereinbefore. For example, it could be of a metallic construction including a plurality of ribs spaced apart from one another to define openings through which oil or other fluids can pass.

Although the device has been described hereinbefore as being suitable for use on the surfaces of car parks or driveways, it will be appreciated that the device is suitable for use in a wide range of applications. For example, the device could be installed on petrol garage forecourts, drive-through food outlets or any other locations in which vehicles tend to be stationary for a period of time

sufficient for a build-up of oil to collect upon the surface.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An oil collection device comprising a tray arranged to be secured to a surface to be protected, an oleophilic material located upon the tray, and a retainer member located to retain the oleophilic material upon the tray, the retainer member being provided with openings exposing at least some of the oleophilic material. 2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the tray defines ridges serving as guides to assist in the correct positioning of a vehicle over the device. 3. A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the ridges are open-ended. 4. A device as claimed in Claim 3, further comprising a plug adapted to be received in the open end of one of the ridges. S. A device as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the plug carries a reflective component. 6. A device as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the plug is adapted to permit the connection of a second, similar device to the oil collection device. 7. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the retainer member comprises a perforated mat. 8. A device as claimed in Claim 7, further comprising a lock arrangement for securing the mat to the tray. 9. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the

<Desc/Clms Page number 12>

oleophilic material comprises a pad of blown polypropylene. 10. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a stop member mounted at an end of the device to guide parking of a vehicle over the device. 11. An oil collection device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.