Abstract:
System for cleaning and decarbonizing a vehicle&#39;s air intake manifold, the system comprising a power source, such as the vehicle&#39;s battery, a housing that includes an air compressor coupled to the power source, a fluid tank connected to the air compressor, a spray nozzle connected to the fluid tank, a fluid container, a regulator, and a solenoid valve interposed between the solenoid valve and the regulator, the solenoid valve further being coupled to the power source.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to vehicular maintenance and, more particularly, to systems for cleaning a vehicle&#39;s air intake manifold. 
     In the past several years, substantial attention has been directed to servicing vehicles on location and, thus, eliminating the need for moving, or in some instances towing, vehicles to mechanic shops for repairs and/or services. 
     One area of vehicular maintenance concerns the de-carbonizing and cleaning of vehicles&#39; air intake manifold, including the combustion chambers, exhaust systems, air intake system, intake valves and fuel systems. To perform these services, with the engine off, cleaner detergent is sprayed into the throttle intake, thus cleaning and lubricating the intake runners, throttle plate and idle speed bypass valve. Also, with the engine idling, decarbonizer fluid is fed through a selected vehicle&#39;s vacuum port to clean and decarbonize the vehicle&#39;s air intake manifold, intake valves and combustion chambers. Such vehicular services create an improved fuel burn that in turn improves the vehicle&#39;s horsepower, increases fuel economy and reduces exhaust emissions. 
     The existing air intake cleaner systems, which may perform these cleaning processes, require the use of a mechanic-shop compressor for their operation. This requirement has many drawbacks. To discuss only a few, using the existing air intake cleaners, the cleaning processes may only be performed inside the mechanic shops. Because shop compressors are expensive and are used for many purposes, long waits for a compressor availability make using the present cleaner systems very time consuming. Furthermore, present systems require that long compression hoses run throughout the shop. Because of the limited length of these compression hoses, the present systems cannot be used outside of the shop area or on the shop parking areas. 
     Even more importantly, the existing systems lack versatility and may not be used to service vehicles on the road. Another element contributing to this lack of versatility is the existing systems&#39; need for the 110-Volt power sources that may not be available on the road. 
     There is, therefore, an intense need within the industry to provide a versatile, less time consuming and improved air intake cleaner systems. In view of this necessity, it is believed that those skilled in the art would find the air intake cleaner systems of the present invention to be quite useful. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In a first separate aspect, the present invention is directed to an air intake cleaner system that comprises a power source, and a housing which includes an air compressor coupled to the power source, a fluid tank with fluid and connected to the air compressor via a first hose, and a spray nozzle connected to the fluid tank via a second hose. The compressor forces the air through the first hose into the fluid tank such that the fluid inside the tank is forced through the second hose to reach the spray nozzle. 
     In a second separate aspect, the power source of the first separate aspect may be the vehicle&#39;s battery. 
     In a third separate aspect, the system of the first separate aspect may also include a relief valve and a check valve interposed onto the first hose and between the compressor and the fluid tank. 
     In a fourth separate aspect, the present invention is directed to a system for servicing a vehicle having a power source. The system comprises an air compressor coupled to the power source, a fluid tank with fluid and connected to the air compressor via a first hose, and a spray nozzle connected to the fluid tank via a second hose. The compressor forces the air through the first hose into the fluid tank such that the fluid inside the tank is forced through the second hose to reach the spray nozzle. 
     In a fifth separate aspect, the system of the fourth separate aspect may also include a relief valve and a check valve interposed onto the first hose and between the compressor and the fluid tank. 
     In a sixth separate aspect, the present invention is directed to a system for servicing a vehicle having a power source. The system comprises a fluid container with fluid and connected to a first hose, a regulator connected to the first hose at one end and a second hose at the other end, and a solenoid valve connected to the first hose and interposed between the fluid container and the regulator, the solenoid valve is also coupled to the power source. The air is vacuumed from the second hose through the regulator to the first hose and the solenoid valve such that a mixture of the fluid and air flows through the first hose and out of the second hose. 
     In a seventh separate aspect, the power source of the sixth separate aspect may be the vehicle&#39;s battery. 
     In an eighth separate aspect, the system of the sixth separate aspect may also include an opener device for receiving and opening the fluid container. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide systems for cleaning air intake manifold of vehicles. 
     Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram of an air intake cleaner system; 
     FIG. 2 is a diagram of an electrical system for the air intake cleaner system of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of a housing for the air intake cleaner system of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an air intake cleaner system  100  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the system  100  includes an internal air compressor  110 , a compressor hose  112 , a relief valve  115 , a first check valve  120 , a detergent tank  125 , a spray hose  127 , a spray nozzle  130 , a bottle receptacle  135 , a bottle seal opener device  140 , a fluid hose  142 , a second check valve  145 , a solenoid valve  150 , a regulator  155 , a vacuum gauge  160 , a vacuum hose  157  and a connection adapter  165 . The cleaner system  100  also includes an electrical system  200  and a control housing  300  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the electrical system  200  of the cleaner system  100  includes a negative current line  205 , a positive current line  206 , a fuse connector  210 , a limit switch  215 , an on/off switch  220 , a run light connector  225 , a power light connector  230 , a first relay  235 , a second relay  240 , a solenoid switch  250  and a compressor switch  260 . 
     Also, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the control housing  300  is shown to include an engine decarbonizer receptacle  305 , positive and negative battery leads (not shown), an intake cleaner receptacle  315 , a cleaner applicator  320 , an on/off control  325 , a fuse  330 , a run light  335 , a power light  340 , a vacuum gauge  345 , a flow control valve and an engine decarbonizer hose  355 . 
     Using the cleaner system  100  to service a vehicle&#39;s air and fuel induction system, the vehicle should first be started and allowed to run for a few minutes so it reaches a normal operating temperature. To start the service, the regulator  155  should be closed. To this end, the flow control valve  350  is turned clockwise until the regulator  155  is completely closed. 
     In the next step, the engine decarbonizer receptacle  305  is opened and a bottle (not shown) containing engine decarbonizer detergent is inserted into the bottle receptacle  135 . The bottle is turned upside down and is threaded into the bottle receptacle  135 . Threading the bottle in place causes the bottle seal opener device  140  to come in contact with a thin aluminum (not shown) which covers the bottle opening. The bottle seal opener device  140  may be a piercing point that ruptures or pierces through the thin aluminum cover. In this way, the engine decarbonizer detergent may flow down into the detergent hose  142  once the flow control valve  350  is turned open and air is allowed to come in. The check valve  145  is also inserted onto the detergent hose  142  to assure that no detergent fluid passes through the check valve  142  toward the regulator  155  unless air is flowing into the detergent hose  142 . 
     Next, a non-ported vacuum port on the air intake manifold closest to the throttle plate of the vehicle should be selected. The vehicle&#39;s vacuum hose (not shown) should be disconnected, and in place thereof, the engine decarbonizer hose  355  should be connected onto the selected vehicle&#39;s vacuum port. Internally, the engine decarbonizer hose  355  is connected to the vacuum hose  157  via the connection adapter  165 . Once the vehicle&#39;s engine is started, air starts to be sucked into the vacuum hose  157  and the vacuum gauge  160  displays the air pressure. Because the regulator  155  is closed, the air is not permitted to flow beyond the regulator  155 . Turning the flow control valve  350  opens the regulator  155  and allows the incoming air to flow through the solenoid hose  152  to the solenoid valve  150 . 
     In its default position, the solenoid valve  150  is in closed position. The solenoid valve  150  is controlled via the solenoid switch  250 , as shown in FIG.  2 . The electrical system  200  causes the solenoid switch  250  to open the solenoid valve  150  when the cleaner system  100  is connected to electrical power and the limit switch  215  indicates that the detergent bottle is in place. To connect the cleaner system  100  to power, the battery leads (not shown) of the system  100  are connected to the vehicle&#39;s battery. The positive battery lead is connected to the positive battery terminal and the negative battery lead is connected to the negative battery terminal of the vehicle. 
     Assuming that all conditions are met, the air is vacuumed or sucked through the solenoid valve  150 , the detergent hose  142  and the check valve  145 . As a result, a mixture of air and detergent fluid flows out of the engine decarbonizer hose  355  into the air intake of the vehicle. During this process, the vacuum gauge  160  may be monitored and the flow control valve  350  may be turned to control the regulator  155  and the amount of air going into the system  100 . Once the detergent fluid is depleted, the flow control valve  350  should be turned to close the regulator  155 . The vehicle&#39;s engine should be shut off and the engine decarbonizer hose  355  should be disconnected from the vehicle&#39;s selected vacuum port. To end the process, the vehicle&#39;s hose should be reconnected to the selected vacuum port. 
     To continue servicing the vehicle&#39;s air and induction system, the air intake duct hose (not shown) is removed from the throttle plate opening of the vehicle. To further prepare the vehicle for service, the throttle plate is opened. 
     At this point, the detergent tank  125  is filled with detergent fluid  126 . The cleaner system  100  is connected to the vehicle&#39;s battery via the battery leads (not shown). The positive battery lead is connected to the positive battery terminal and the negative battery lead is connected to the negative battery terminal of the vehicle. Once the on/off switch  325  is pressed, the air compressor  110  starts pumping air through the compressor hose  112 , the relief valve  115  and the check valve  120  into the detergent tank  125 . The compressed air in the detergent tank  125  places pressure on the fluid  126  and causes the fluid  126  to flow out of the detergent tank  125  and into the spray hose  127 . From there, the spray nozzle  130  controls the flow of the fluid  126 . The spray nozzle  130  is located in the cleaner applicator  320 , as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     The relief valve  115  is interposed in the fluid path and onto the compressor hose  112  to assure that excess air pressure is released from the system  100 . In the preferred embodiment, the relief valve  115  is designed such that excess pressure over twenty (20) psi is released from the system  100 . The check valve  120  is also interposed onto the fluid path and onto the compressor hose  112  to prevent fluid  126  from going backward to the relief valve  115  and the air compressor  110 . The check valve  120  further retains air pressure in the detergent tank  125 . 
     In the next step, the spray nozzle  130  is directed toward the vehicle&#39;s throttle plate and the throttle bore area. The detergent fluid  126  is sprayed into those areas. Next, the throttle plate should be closed and the vehicle&#39;s engine should be started. The spray nozzle  130  should be directed toward the throttle bore and the idle-air bypass areas of the vehicle and short bursts of the fluid should be sprayed into those areas. As the last step of the process, the vehicle&#39;s engine should be turned off and the air intake duct hose (not shown) should be reconnected. 
     Turning to FIG. 2, the negative line  205 , which is connected to the vehicle&#39;s negative battery terminal, runs throughout the electrical system  200  to provide the ground level. The positive line  206 , which is connected to the vehicle&#39;s positive battery terminal, runs throughout the electrical system  200  to provide the positive level. 
     When the electrical system  200  receives electrical power, the power light connector  230  is energized causing the power light  340  to turn on. The first relay  235  is activated when both the limit switch  215  and the on/off switch  220  are closed. The limit switch  215  closes when the detergent bottle (not shown) is properly inserted into the bottle receptacle  135  such that bottle seal opener device pierces through the aluminum cover of the bottle. The on/off switch  225  closes when the on/off switch is thrown in the on position. 
     The second relay  240 , on the other hand, is activated when the on/off switch  220  is closed or is in on position. In such case, the air compressor starts pumping air through the compressor hose  112  and the run light connector  225  activates the run light  335  and the power light connector  230  deactivates the power light  340 . 
     The circuit breaker fuse  210  is interposed onto the positive line  206  to protect the electrical system  200  against possible power surges. 
     While the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific examples thereof have been shown in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the particular forms or methods disclosed, but to the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.