JP2861830B2 - Drain structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drain structure provided with a drain plug for discharging a liquid stored in a tank or the like, and more particularly to a drain structure in which a drain plug is loosened. The present invention relates to a drain structure in which liquid in a tank is prevented from flowing out until a drain plug is completely removed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a container for storing a liquid therein, such as an oil pan or a fuel tank of an engine, a drain plug for discharging the liquid is usually provided at the bottom of the container so as to be detachable.

FIG. 4 shows an oil pan of an engine. A drain plug 22 for discharging oil is provided at the bottom of the oil pan 21. This drain plug 22
As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, it is usually detachably attached by screwing with the oil pan 21.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional drain structure, there is a disadvantage that a liquid such as oil leaks out while the drain plug is being loosened, and the liquid gets into the hands of an operator. For example, engine oil immediately after the stop of operation has a high oil temperature, and in some cases, may cause burns.

In the conventional drain structure, there is also a method of loosening the drain plug while pushing upward so as not to leak the liquid. However, even in this case, it is difficult to know the timing at which the screw thread can be removed, and furthermore, the drain plug is attached. In some cases, it is difficult to take a good working posture due to the location, and it has been difficult to eliminate the possibility that the leaked liquid may be caught in the hand when the drain plug is removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a drain structure in which the liquid inside the drain plug does not leak even if the thread of the drain plug is removed while the drain plug is loosened.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has a cylindrical member having an opening at the center of the other end fixed to a drain opening inside a container; A valve member for opening and closing the opening of the cylindrical member, a spring member fixed to the valve member, and disposed around the spring member inside the cylindrical member, and holding the valve member when the drain plug is attached. A hook having a valve holding portion at the upper end having a liquid flow opening locked at the drain opening after removing the drain plug, and a hook at the lower end detachably fixed to the drain plug. A drain structure comprising: a member; a concave portion for receiving the spring member at a tip thereof; and a drain plug having a fixing portion detachably fitted to the hook member.

[0008]

According to the above-mentioned means, while the drain plug is being loosened, the valve member pressed by the spring member closes the opening of the cylindrical member, so that the liquid in the container cannot be screwed into the threaded portion of the drain plug. Does not invade. Further, since the opening of the cylindrical member is closed by the valve member when the liquid is injected into the container and after the injection, there is normally no fluid in the cylindrical member, and therefore, the drain plug is removed from the hook member. During this time, fluid does not leak from the drain opening of the container.

In addition, since the drain plug and the hook member are made detachable and the hook member is engaged with the drain opening, even if the thread of the drain plug is completely removed, the drain plug can be connected to the hook member. Do not fall supported by. Moreover, during this time, the closing of the opening by the valve member is maintained, and the fluid does not leak from the drain opening.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of a drain structure according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1A is a sectional view showing a state in which the drain plug is completely tightened in the container, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of FIG. A container 1 such as an oil pan or the like is provided with a drain opening 2 for discharging the liquid inside the bottom at the bottom, and the opening 2 is usually closed by tightening a removable drain plug 3 by screwing. I have. The drain plug 3 is screwed and attached to an inner screw of a boss 4 protruding inside the container 1. A cylindrical member 6 provided with an opening 5 serving as a liquid flow path at the center of the other end is screwed into the outside of the container by screwing the external screw of the boss 4 forming the drain opening 2 inside the container 1. Projected and fixed.

The above-mentioned opening 5 of the cylindrical member 6 is provided with a seat portion 7 which protrudes downward along the circumference, and a valve seal (valve member) 9 which receives an upward bias from the spring 8 on the seat portion 7. Or the valve seal 9
By releasing the close contact, a valve mechanism for opening and closing the opening 5 is configured. The upper end of the spring 8 is fixed to the lower surface of the seat 7.

A substantially cylindrical hook 10 is arranged around the spring 8 and inside the cylindrical member 6. At the upper end of the hook 10 is provided a valve holding portion 11 which holds the valve seal 9 when the drain plug 3 is attached, and is locked inside the drain opening 2 after the drain plug 3 is removed. I have. Further, the valve holding portion 11 has a liquid circulation opening 12 formed therein. On the other hand, a hook portion 14 is provided at the lower end of the hook 10 and is detachably fixed to the drain plug 3 by a hook spring 13.

On the side of the drain plug 3 for fixing the hook portion 14, a concave portion 15 is provided at the tip thereof for receiving the lower end of the spring 8, and the hook spring 13 of the hook portion 14 is detachably provided on the outer periphery of the concave portion 15. A fixed portion 16 to be fitted is provided. The fixing portion 16 is configured such that only the outer diameter of the upper end portion is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the hook spring 13, and the hook portion 14, which has exceeded the one end by elasticity, is fitted and held.

Next, an operation procedure of the above-described drain structure will be described. FIG. 1A shows a state in which the drain plug 3 is completely tightened, the spring 8 is compressed, and the valve seal 9 is pushed up to make close contact with the seat portion 9. Therefore, the liquid in the container 1 is sealed in two stages by both the valve seal 9 and the drain plug 3.

FIG. 2A shows a state in which the drain plug 3 is being loosened, and the drain plug 3 moves downward as it is loosened. This movement also lowers the hook 10 fitted to the fixed portion 16, but the spring 8 is not fully extended, so that the spring 8 retains the force to push up the valve seal 9. Therefore, the valve seal 9 is attached to the seat 7.
The opening 5 is closed in close contact with the container 1 to prevent the liquid in the container 1 from flowing out.

FIG. 2B shows a state in which the thread of the drain plug 3 has come off from the boss portion 4.
Is supported by fitting with the hook part 14 so as not to drop. In this state, since the spring 8 has not been completely extended yet, the valve seal 9 is pushed up to make close contact with the seat portion 7 and the opening 5 is closed. Therefore, even in this state, the liquid in the container 1 does not flow out.

FIG. 2C shows a state in which the drain plug 3 is completely removed.
4 has been removed. As a result, the spring 8 falls without support at the lower end, and the close contact between the valve seal 9 and the seat portion 7 is released. For this reason, the fluid in the container 1 flows from the opening 5 to the cylindrical member 6 as shown by the arrow in the figure.
Flows into. Further, the fluid flows into the inside of the hook 10 from the liquid circulation opening 12 and flows out of the container from the lower end of the hook 10 and the drain opening 2. The hook 10 that has fallen by removing the drain plug 3
Means that the valve holding portion 11 hits the boss portion 4 and the seat portion 7
And together with the spring 8 are held in the cylindrical member 6.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the drain plug 3 is started to be tightened. After the lower end of the spring 8 is set in the recess 15, screwing is started. At this time, the hook portion 14 has not been fitted with the fixing portion 16. By tightening the drain plug 3 from this state, the valve seal 9
1 is pressed by the spring 8 and comes into close contact with the seat portion 7. After the upper end of the hook 10 comes into contact with the valve seal 9, the hook portion 14 is further tightened to fit the hook portion 14 with the fixing portion 16, and the original portion shown in FIG. Return to the state. Thereafter, a new fluid may be injected into the container.

If an elastic member is used for the valve holding portion 11 to apply a pressing force to the valve seal 9 in the same direction as the spring 8, the adhesion between the seat portion 7 and the valve seal 9 is further improved. improves. In addition to the elastic member in this case, the material of each member may be appropriately selected from metals, resins, and the like in consideration of various conditions such as fluid properties and temperature.

[0021]

According to the drain structure of the present invention described above,
The fluid inside can be prevented from leaking while the drain plug is being loosened, and since the fluid does not flow until the drain plug is removed from the hook portion, the start of the fluid outflow can be predicted almost completely. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the hands from being stained with the fluid or to be burned by the high-temperature fluid.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of a drain structure according to the present invention, wherein (A) is a cross-sectional view in a state where a drain plug is completely tightened, and (B) is an exploded perspective view of the drain structure.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a state in which a drain plug is loosened, in which (A) is a state in which a drain plug 3 is loosened halfway;
(B) shows a state in which the thread of the drain plug has come off, and (C) shows a state in which the drain plug has been completely removed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the drain plug starts to be tightened.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an engine oil pan shown as an example of a container to which a drain plug is attached.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a conventional example of a drain plug structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 2 Drain opening 3 Drain plug 4 Boss 5 Opening 6 Cylindrical member 7 Seat 8 Spring 9 Valve seal (Valve member) 10 Hook 11 Valve holding part 12 Liquid flow opening 13 Hook spring 14 Hook 15 Depression 16 Fixed part

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) F16N 33/00 F01M 11/04

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A cylindrical member having an opening at the center of the other end fixed to the drain opening inside the container; a valve member for opening and closing the opening of the cylindrical member; and a spring fixed to the valve member. A liquid circulation opening which is disposed around the spring member inside the cylindrical member, holds the valve member when the drain plug is attached, and is locked by the drain opening after the drain plug is removed. A hook member having a valve holding portion at an upper end portion and a hook portion detachably fixed to a drain plug at a lower end portion, and a concave portion for receiving the spring member at a tip end and detachably fitted to the hook member. And a drain plug having a fixing portion.