Abstract:
Fluids disposal symbiotic apparatus represents system and method helping technician, lube professional, hobbyist, as well as automotive, aircraft or marine vehicle subject matter specialist quickly yet conveniently change and dispose oil, transmission and/or other fluids, including fresh and wasted, avoiding oil exchange mess by utilizing a symbiotic multifunctional fluid disposal apparatus for collecting, storing and dispensing diversity of waste fluids. Said apparatus equipped with plurality of intake funnel, control valves, and output hoses or nozzles, to symbiotically input and accommodate coolant, engine oil, transmission fluid or other drainage liquid configurations, and adapt to original set of emptied bottles or plastic containers as an output configuration hosted in an original box, thus ensuring an operator may safely, cleanly and conveniently drain, collect and accurately dispose waste fluids.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    Oil change may or may not be significant or pleasant event to a majority of vehicle owners depending on their passion towards vehicles, as well as understanding or knowledge of the car engine, transmission and drive train tear, wear and lifetime considerations. Many vehicle owners may have or have no idea what is going on under the hood of their vehicles as most of us just drive until said vehicle runs, or till one of the warning indicators goes off on its dashboard.  
           [0002]    Yet another category of drivers do know it is necessary to change oil from time to time at regular intervals so they more or less periodically turn their vehicle into the hands of lube shops or dealership service departments, having a little idea about specifics of engine oil, coolant, or transmission fluid or other liquids, vital to run machinery, exchange process.  
           [0003]    Next category of vehicle owners may be characterized as having a love affair with their vehicles, they do know every detail of the oil and other fluids specifics and change cycles along with the extensive knowledge of said fluid types to perform oil change right to, for example, please an engine with synthetic brand. This particular category of vehicle owners religiously follows oil change methodology to every detail. Needless to say that said category of vehicle owners do prefer to perform the oil change themselves or closely watch the exchange process from beginning to end not to overlook any specifics, e.g. presence of the thin layer of fresh oil on the new oil filter gasket, or presence of the copper or aluminum washer on the neck of the drain plug or bolt, ensuring said bolt has not been over tight to protect the pan thread from damage.  
           [0004]    The latter category of caring owners is not the largest but may count several million people just in the United States, may be counting dozens to hundreds million people around the globe. These folks are often referred to as “do it yourself” in the Prior Art and we may also take courage to call latter category an “automotive fanatics” or “involved car hobbyists”.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0005]    A system and method allowing hobbyist, technician, lube professional, automotive, aircraft or marine vehicle subject matter specialist quickly yet conveniently change and dispose oil, transmission and/or other fluids, avoiding oil exchange mess by utilizing a symbiotic multifunctional fluid disposal apparatus for collecting, storing and dispensing diversity of waste fluids. Said apparatus equipped with plurality of intake funnel, control valves, and output hoses or nozzles, to symbiotically input and accommodate coolant, engine oil, transmission fluid or other drainage liquid configurations, and adapt to original set of emptied bottles or plastic containers as an output configuration hosted in an original box, thus ensuring an operator may safely, cleanly and conveniently drain, collect and accurately dispose waste fluids used in plurality machinery types. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 presents and article of Prior Art recognized as box with plurality of oil cans in it, said package usually sold an auto-stores, convenient stores, gas stations or multiplicity of shopping marts or shopping centers.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 shows top-side view of fluids disposal symbiotic apparatus.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 reveals detailed side view of fluids disposal symbiotic apparatus placed underneath vehicle in the process of collecting waste fluids.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 renders side-front view of fluids disposal symbiotic apparatus put on top of cardboard box with empty oil bottles ready to accept waste fluid collected by said apparatus.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 shows front view of variation of fluids disposal symbiotic apparatus with helper stand and plurality of turning funnels allowing to enhance the waste collection area and adjust said apparatus to the configuration of different vehicles, note that not shown is additional extra accessory e.g. multi-hose to single-hose adapter or other convenient funnel-adapter.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 5  renders top and side general views of variation of fluids disposal symbiotic apparatus with helper stand and plurality of turning funnels allowing enhancing the waste collection area and adjusting said apparatus to the configuration of different vehicles. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 therein renders an instance of Prior Art most commonly presented by often cardboard box  10  containing a plurality of plastic bottles  20 , usually six quarter capacity plastic containers, filled with fresh engine oil or other vehicle related fluid as offered to do it yourself hobbyists or any other consumers via retail marts or supply stores such as Wall-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Pep Boys, Napa and others.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 presents said fluids disposal symbiotic apparatus  100 . The apparatus  100  is made of oil resistant material e.g. polymer plastic, is flat enough to easily fit under most vehicles. It has a plurality of nozzles  106 ; helper handles  130 ,  131 ,  132 , and at least three control valves  201 ,  202 ,  203 .  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 renders fluids disposal symbiotic apparatus  100  equipped with plurality of possibly spheroid or other supportive type wheels  110  embedded in cavities  111  formed within the apparatus  100  bottom  101 , such that hobbyist in most cases may have sufficient access space to the undercarriage of the vehicle to reach to the oil filter  302  neck, drain plug  304  and other bolt  306  and/or plug  308  responsible for opening drain points to release flows of waste transmission fluid, engine coolant, etc.  
         [0015]    The symbiotic apparatus  100  is characterized by an extremely wide open, large waste fluid intake area  195  forming top funnel like input panel  190  of the apparatus  100 . Said funnel  190  is capable of simultaneously collecting waste fluids  311 ,  313 ,  315  from plurality of dispersed waste release points, for example from the oil filter seat opening  301 , engine oil drain opening  303 , transmission fluid release point  305 , and radiator drain  308 . Most practically just a single type of waste fluid would be drained at a time, for example waste engine oil from two release points including oil filter opening  301  and oil drain plug seat  303 .  
         [0016]    The oil collecting funnel  190  is large enough to stretch under most car engine compartments. Said funnel  190  has almost rectangular bay like recess shape  196  surrounded by perimeter wall  195  allowing catch and hold not only streams of waste fluids  311 ,  313 ,  315 , but oil filter  302  and drain plugs or bolts  304 ,  306 ,  308  with washers if they occasionally slip from the palm of technician while being unscrewed or removed from their seats  301 ,  303 ,  305 ,  307 .  
         [0017]    Once all participating in fluid exchange process oil or fluid release openings  301 ,  303 ,  305  are freed from plug covers, bolts, washers and oil filter  308 ,  302 ,  304 ,  306  possibly dropped into the funnel  190 , oil or fluid  311 ,  313 ,  315  may be collected into the funnel  190 . The waste liquids flow freely through the first cage-like filter guard  206 , which, by design has plurality of go-through slots  220  sized about one third to a half of diameter of the neck of an average drain plug or bolt  304 . Guard stops anything but waste liquids from passing through guard  206 . For example such items as oil filter  302 , bolts, nuts or drain plugs  308 ,  304 ,  306  remain within the inside perimeter of the funnel  190  but kept at the edge of the outer perimeter of the guard  206 .  
         [0018]    The method of operation of the symbiotic apparatus  100  is simple. Technician opens the first valve  201 , closes second valve  202 , closes third valve  203 , and slides apparatus  100  under the car. Apparatus has plurality of wheels  110  on the bottom  101  to help glide apparatus  100  underneath the vehicle&#39;s motor and transmission compartment. Apparatus  100  may be positioned under at least an oil filter and oil pan drain area, additionally, if desired under the transmission drain  305  too. Technician removes oil filter  302  and oil drain plug  304 , and may choose to leave them in the funnel  190  at her or his convenience.  
         [0019]    Waste fluids  311 ,  313 ,  315  freely go downstream recess bay  196 , reaching lower inner corner of the funnel, then flow through said guard  206  and first valve  201  finally draining down into the apparatus  100  container stomach  191 . Oil filter  302 , drain plug  304  or other debris are stopped by the guard  206  screen  220 .  
         [0020]    Once waste fluids collection is complete in the container stomach  191 , the oil plug  304  and oil filter  302  may be replaced with cleansed, wiped and new instances, next, fresh oil is poured into the engine through top intake  310 , then the first valve  201  may be closed and apparatus  100  finally may be removed preferably by the handle  130  from under the vehicle. Plurality of wheels  110  eases apparatus  100  removal operation.  
         [0021]    Technician ensures the first valve  201  is closed, and so do second and third valves  202  and  203  respectfully.  
         [0022]    As shown on FIG. 4, operator stands apparatus  100  upright on top of box  10  the latter equipped with plurality, usually six, empty oil cans  20 , for dispensing waste oil, or other fluids recessed earlier in the waste collection session in the container stomach  191 . Additionally, in case filled apparatus is heavy enough to possibly damage cardboard box  10 , then optional supportive stand may be introduced as shown on the subsequent figures, but not on FIG. 4, because normally the strength of the cardboard box filled with plurality of empty cans is sufficient to hold most of the weight of filled apparatus with the rest of its weight supported by the operator with help of handlers  130 ,  131 ,  132 . Once technician makes sure valve  201 ,  203  are closed and opens valve  202  the bulk of waste fluid may freely flow from stomach  191  through plurality of hoses  106 , however valve  201 ,  203  should remain closed at this time. Number of hoses  106  symbiotically equals number of empty oil cans in the original box, often six. Nozzles or hoses  106  penetrate into empty oil can necks in one to one relationship. Once the bulk of waste fluid from stomach  191  has been drained via valve  202 , technician may close valve  202  and open valve  203 , the latter allows the remainders of waste fluid collected on the bottom corner of the outer funnel  150  be released into the oil collecting containers  20  through valve  203 , next distributed through plurality of channels inside hoses  106 . Therefore valves  202 ,  203  allow for full drainage of the waste fluid from inside stomach  191  and outside funnel  150  of the apparatus  100 . Normally, amount of waste fluid in the vehicle engine drained into apparatus is less than the capacity of empty oil cans, because oil is evaporating during the engine work time between oil changes, therefore operator or technician may or may not worry about overfill of said cans  20 , therefore she or he just keeps the apparatus  100  in the upright position until waste fluid fills plurality of empty oil cans  20  through plurality of hoses  106  through valves  202 ,  203  and hoses  106 . Once oil containers  20  are filled, operator closes valves  202 ,  203 , then may place said apparatus  100  into designated place for cleaning and storage purposes. Finally operator may close cups of containers  20  in box  10 , then she or he seals box  10 , and the latter is conveniently ready for remainder of disposal procedure established with this particular oil change shop or according to appropriate state regulations. As one experienced in Art may conclude there are no waste spills or mess occurring and all work may be done by a single person.  
         [0023]    As was mentioned before technician may close second valve  202  and opens third valve  203  letting the remainders of waste oil leftovers accumulated in the outer funnel  150  and collected in the lower, as on FIG. 4, corner of the funnel  150  while the main container stomach  191  has been emptied, said outer remainders drain into oil cans via leftover valve  203  release channels of said plurality of hoses  106 .  
         [0024]    Finally, technician closes the third valve  203  and puts apparatus  100  down on its wheels. At this point operator may wipe with napkin or otherwise clean up the surface of the funnel  150  and put apparatus  100  into storage place. Then she or he closes cups of the plurality of oil cans  20 , and may dispose used napkins and whatever leftovers of used stuff left around into the box  10 , then she or he closes and seals the box  10 , and forwards said box  10  into designated waste recycling facility.  
         [0025]    As it may be observed at this point oil change process has been completed quickly and conveniently avoiding spills, mess of waste or fresh oil into the environment, moreover original oil cardboard box  10  and all oil cans  20  have been fully reused, and no additional means to store waste oil on its way to recycle facility are needed.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 therein illustrate some variations of said fluids disposal symbiotic apparatus such that those experienced in Art may recognize additional new and improved versions of said apparatus, helper stand and/or other accompanying accessories e.g. multi-hose to single hose adapter or funnel to help dispose multiple streams into single stream or other number of streams and make usage of said apparatus more convenient and safe.  
         [0027]    Moreover it is understood that aforementioned description of this invention and attached drawings are illustrating just few main ideas behind current invention which may cover wide area of forms, variations and applications of said apparatus and any number and shape of accessories associated with said apparatus and method e.g. said multi hose to single hose adapter and/or other helper components not necessarily shown on figures therein or current invention description specification.