Abstract:
An automobile fuel/oil separator including a plurality of gravel particles arranged between a pair of screens is connected with an automobile PCV valve for separating the crankcase oil from the fuel. Evaporative fuel from the fuel tank along with the separated fuel is fed to the fuel carburetor or fuel injector and the separated oil is returned to the oil reservoir.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Automobile crankcase emissions reduction devices are arranged between the automobile crankcase and the automobile positive crankcase ventilation valve, hereafter “PCV” to remove some of the engine oil from the fuel before returning the fuel to the engine. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,971 entitled “Apparatus for Removing Contaminants from Crankcase Emissions” is an early arrangement for removing engine oil from the mixture by employing filters and fiber particles to enhance the separation process. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,078 also entitled “Apparatus for Removing Contaminants form Crankcase Emissions” further describes the use of a deflector designed to change the direction of the liquid and to direct part of the liquid into a containment portion of the vessel and direct the fuel stream to the outlet. 
   When the apparatus becomes filled with the oil that is separated from the fuel/oil mixture, the container that receives the separated oil must be removed to dispose of the separated oil. 
   It would be advantageous, in automobile diesel applications, to be able to return the oil to the oil reservoir in the automobile system without having to remove the container from the apparatus, per se. 
   One purpose of the invention is to describe an efficient arrangement for removing oil from the oil-fuel mix in an automobile PCV system without having to remove the separated oil on a continuing basis. 
   A further purpose of the invention is to reduce the amount of fuel loss due to thermal evaporation from the fuel reservoir, in combination with the removal of the oil from the fuel-oil crankcase effluent. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention consists of an automobile fuel/oil separator that is connected with an automobile PCV valve, crankcase, fuel breather line and oil reservoir for separating the crankcase oil from the fuel, collecting evaporative fuel for returning the separated fuel and evaporative fuel to the fuel carburetor or fuel injector and returning the separated oil to the oil reservoir. The fuel/oil separator includes a pair of filters within a tube that contains a plurality of fine gravel particles and terminates at one end via an oil deflector plate. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic side view depicting the arrangement of the fuel/oil separator of the invention intermediate the automobile engine crankcase and fuel tank; and 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged front perspective view of the components of the fuel/oil separator of the invention in isometric projection prior to assembly thereof. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The fuel/oil separator unit  10 , hereafter “f/o separator” according to the invention is depicted in  FIG. 1  interconnecting between the automobile crankcase  13  within the automobile engine  11  and the automobile fuel tank  12 . For purposes of disclosure the term “fuel” can include gasoline, alcohol, vegetable oil, diesel fuel as well as mixtures thereof, and the term “oil” includes lubricating oil. The crankcase  13  is similar to that described within aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,078 wherein the carburetor unit  15  is operatively attached to the top of the crankcase  13  and includes a fuel intake port  25 . 
   The automobile oil reservoir tank  14  constitutes the bottom of the crankcase  13  for replenishing lubrication to the lower engine components (not shown) contained within the crankcase. 
   The positive crankcase ventilation valve  22 , hereafter “PCV” valve extending from the top of the valve cover  50  connects with the f/o separator inlet  23  for separating the oil from the f/o mix in the manner to be described below. Once the oil is separated therefrom, the fuel is returned to the inlet manifold  21  via inlet  26  as indicated. Although a fuel carburetor is described herein, the f/o separator unit  10  also performs as well with a fuel injector system. 
   The primary fuel source to the fuel carburetor  15  is supplied from the fuel tank  12  via the outlet  19  on the fuel tank and the inlet  25  on the fuel carburetor  15 . 
   The invention differs from the prior art of record by the provision of a breather tube outlet  29  on the breather tube  18  connecting between the fuel tank  12  and the fuel tank accessible cover  17  at the end of the filler pipe  16 , as indicated. The outlet  29  connects with the inlet  27  extending from the top of the f/o separator  10  for providing intake air thru the fuel tank cover  17  to the f/o separator  10 . Since the fuel tank cover includes an opening (not shown) to prevent the occurrence of vacuum within the fuel tank during operation, it has been determined that some fuel can escape from the fuel tank by evaporation under hot ambient temperature conditions. The connection between the outlet  29  and inlet  27  includes the evaporated fuel along with the intake air provided to the f/o separator  10  and returns the evaporated fuel to the fuel intake manifold  21  via outlet  24  on the f/o separator and the inlet  26  for additional fuel efficiency. 
   An adjustable valve  28  intermediate the inlet  27  and the threaded tube  35  connecting with the f/o separator  10  allows the intake air to be adjusted for optimum transfer between the f/o separator and the fuel inlet  26 . 
   As noted within the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,971, the f/o separator container  34  is removed from the f/o filter  33  when the separated oil (not shown) reaches a predetermined level to prevent blocking of the filter. 
   An added feature of the instant invention is the provision of an outlet  30  and valve  31  proximate the bottom of the container  34  which outlet connects with the inlet  32  on the oil reservoir  14  at the bottom of the crankcase  13 . When used with gasoline engines, such as described within the prior art of record, the valve is turned off to allow the separated oil to remain within the container  34  for disposal by removal of the container. 
   When the f/o separator  10  of the invention is used with a diesel engine, it has been determined that the recovered oil within the container  34  is reusable within the crankcase  13 , such that the valve  31  is turned on to allow continuous flow of the recovered oil to the oil reservoir  14 , via inlet  32 , without having to empty the container  34 . 
   A further feature of the invention is the provision of a retainer sleeve  50  attached to the automobile chassis  51 , as indicated in phantom, under the automobile hood (not shown) by means of screws  52 . The sleeve is fabricated out of plastic, silicone or hard rubber and the opening  53  is sized to receive the bottom of the container  34  in press-fit relation. 
   The components of the f/o separator filter  33  are best seen by referring now to  FIG. 1  as well as  FIG. 2  wherein the cover  36  contains a central threaded opening  37  for receiving the threaded tube  35  with the inlet  27  and valve  28  attached thereto. 
   A first threaded side opening  38  is arranged on one side of the cover  36  for receiving the outlet  24  and a second threaded opening  39  is arranged on an opposite side of the cover for receiving the inlet  23 . 
   An elongated tube  40 , having a tapered exterior threaded end  40  A for connecting with the threaded opening  37  proximate the tube  35 , and an extended larger section  40 B is arranged for connecting with a tapered tube  41  via an opposite exterior threaded end  40 C on tube  40  and interior threads  41 A on tube  40 . 
   Prior to interconnecting the tubes  40 ,  41 , a first screen  42  is inserted within the end of tube  41  for purposes to be described below. A second screen  43  is inserted within an opposite end of a perforated pipe nipple  44  containing a plurality of fine gravel particles as indicated at  45 . The pipe nipple  44  is threadingly inserted within the interior threaded elongated tube opening  46  and the splatter plate  47  is coupled to the end of the tube  41  by press-fitting the pins  48 , extending from the end of the tube, partially within the openings  49  on the splatter plate. 
   The provision of an opening t between the plate  47  and the tube  41  via pins  48 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , is an important feature of the invention for the following reasons. 
   The fuel-oil effluent (not shown) emanating from the PCV valve  22  flows into the f/o separator filter  33  via inlet  23  and the oil (not shown) becomes partially separated upon contact with the first filter  42 . The oil becomes further separated from the effluent upon contact with the fine gravel particles  45 , in pipe nipple  44 , and the second filter  43  before the effluent comes into contact with the plate  47 . Upon contact with the plate  47 , the oil wets the plate allowing the remaining fuel to flow up to the outlet  24  under the pressure provided by the incoming effluent flow, back to the fuel intake inlet  26 , for operation therein. If the plate is set too close to the end of the tube, the oil could remain within the effluent. If the plate is set too far away from the end of the tube, the effluent could by-pass a part of the plate for less efficient oil removal therefrom. 
   An efficient filtration device for separating oil from a fuel/oil mixture emanating from an automobile crankcase has herein been described. 
   The device of the invention is capable of preventing the evaporation loss of fuel from the fuel tank as well as returning separated oil to the crankcase without having to remove the oil from the filtration device, per se.