Abstract:
A disposable lubricating container system including a disposable container, a carrier, a sealing unit and transfer tubes. The carrier rigidly attaches itself to an engine or other machine part and a container attaches to the carrier. The container mates with the carrier to securely hold the container while being easily removed or inserted into the carrier. The sealing unit attaches to a neck portion of the container and serves to provide a fluid transfer system for the lubricating oil or fuel/oil mixture from the container to the engine. Lubricating oil in the container is transferred to an existing oil reservoir, directly to engine components or other machine parts.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/996,497, filed Nov. 24, 2004, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/909,615, filed Jul. 20, 2001, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/272,372, filed Feb. 27, 2001, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/275,587, filed Mar. 12, 2001. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to lubricating systems.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Two-cycle engines were developed as a lower cost, lightweight alternative to four-cycle engines. Two-cycle engines are commonly employed to power outboard engines, chainsaws, lawn mowers, motorcycles, weed eaters, hedge trimmers, portable blowers, power generators, hydraulic power units, or any other application where lightweight, high RPM power is required. Two-cycle gasoline engines, unlike four-cycle gasoline engines, do not have oil filled crankcases as a means of lubricating the moving parts of the engine. Rather, two-cycle engines use a blended mixture of fuel and lubricating oil as a means of powering the engine and simultaneously lubricating various parts of the engine. This blended fuel mixture requires one of two engine setups. One setup pre-blends the fuel and oil before putting it in the engine. Also, a more current trend in two-cycle engine design keeps the fuel and oil separate in their own reservoirs, and blends the fuel and oil during operation. In this second setup, the ratio of fuel to oil may depend upon power requirements. Both of these technologies have created a variety of problems common to any engine.  
         [0004]     In the instance where an engine design does not employ pre-blended fuel, rather employing separate fuel and oil reservoirs, additional problems have developed. First, the oil reservoir must be independently checked to make sure that it contains an adequate amount of oil. As the viewing area for checking the oil level is often located in an undesirable location, an operator is required to contort themselves in awkward positions to accomplish this task. Often times, this inconvenience means that the oil level goes unchecked, which potentially leads to running the engine on no oil.  
         [0005]     The filling of the oil reservoir requires additional tools, more specifically, funnels, spouts, rags or other such devices used to aid in filling the oil reservoir. The use of funnels to fill the oil reservoir creates a couple of problems. First, the portion of the funnel located within the reservoir at the time of filling displaces a significant volume of oil. Consequently, when the funnel is removed, the oil volume is reduced by a volume equivalent to the funnel, thus a true full reservoir is not attained. Further, the funnel&#39;s bulky shape makes it difficult to determine when the oil reservoir is nearing full, often yielding in overfilling the oil reservoir. Regardless of whether an under-filled or over-filled reservoir is attained, additional problems result from the current oil reservoir technology.  
         [0006]     An additional problem with current engine lubrication technology is the potential of harm to the engine itself. More specifically, in instances where a reservoir is over-filled, oil residue is left upon the surface of the engine around the entrance to the reservoir. Consequently, dust and other foreign material, hazardous to internal engine components, collects around the opening to the reservoir. This combination of foreign material and oil can be introduced into the oil reservoir upon opening the reservoir or working around an open reservoir. Likewise, funnels and other such devices employed in filling the reservoir also collect dust that is potentially passed into the oil reservoir during a subsequent use. Thus, the state of current lubrication technology actually serves to increase the potential for engine harm. This problem is magnified when the environment in which these engines are employed is considered. For example, chainsaws being used in forests produce vast quantities of sawdust, or motorcycles traveling along dusty roads.  
         [0007]     Aside from the ease of use and potential damage to the engine, current engine lubrication technology is also potentially damaging to other assets around the engine. Primarily, any spilled oil or blended fuel/oil not only attaches itself to the engine, but also to anything else it happens to contact. The fuel/oil has a tendency to undesirably attach itself to other assets in the area of the engine. For example, in a marine environment oil may attach itself to fishing gear, water-skiing equipment, SCUBA gear or other such assets. The oil is often detrimental to the other assets in that it causes fouling or actual deterioration of the assets itself.  
         [0008]     Aside from just the physical or tangible assets in the area of which the engine is employed, there are environmental concerns as well. Spillage or oil remnants are often deposited in the environment. This oil spillage in a marine application creates oil slicks on the surface of the water, damaging both surface and subsurface marine plants and animals. Further, oil spillage on dry land is absorbed into the soil potentially harming both plants and animals. Further, oil spillage is potentially damaging to water reservoirs and aquifers.  
         [0009]     The various problems of lubrication discussed above are not limited to internal combustion engines. Rather, all machine parts or elements have similar lubrication problems or considerations. More specifically, machine parts, including milling machines, presses, drills, fabrication units, lathes, agricultural equipment, construction equipment, earth moving equipment and other mechanical devices all require sufficient lubrication in order to function properly, and all are subject to the above discussed lubrication concerns and problems.  
         [0010]     Therefore, there exists a need to provide a clean lubricating oil or machine element lubricating system.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The present invention comprises a disposable or reusable lubricating oil container system wherein the disposable/reusable oil container functions as the primary oil reservoir for engines or other machine parts. The container snaps, plugs into or attaches to a self-tapping repository chamber connected to a lubrication system of an engine or other machine part. The container has a neck portion defining an opening for transferring lubricating oil. The oil is transferred from the container to an engine or other machine part via a sealing unit attached to the neck. Additionally, the container can be an existing retail container for motor and engine lubricants or can be specifically designed for a given purpose.  
         [0012]     In accordance with further aspects of the invention, a safety seal and cap are employed over the neck.  
         [0013]     In accordance with other aspects of the invention, the container includes a graduated section or a viewing section at its surface.  
         [0014]     In accordance with still further aspects of the invention, a strap employed secures the container to the carrier.  
         [0015]     In accordance with yet other aspects of the invention, the sealing unit attaches to the container by a male or female coupling unit.  
         [0016]     In accordance with other aspects of the invention, an attachment ring secures the sealing unit to the container.  
         [0017]     In accordance with still further aspects of the invention, carrier attachments secure the carrier to an engine or machine part for damping vibration.  
         [0018]     In accordance with yet other aspects of the invention, the carrier is a heat shield for the container.  
         [0019]     As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing summary, the invention provides a unique disposable lubricating cartridge system. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]     The preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.  
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a disposable lubricating container and reservoir formed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a carrier for the container shown in  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0023]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are cross-sectional side views of sealing units formed in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0024]     This invention preferably functions with engines employing either premixed fuel/oil or separate fuel and oil reservoir engine arrangements. However, this invention is employable with any machine part. For clarity, only the internal combustion engine with a separate reservoir arrangement is illustrated here. More specifically,  FIG. 1  shows a disposable lubricating container system  20  that includes a disposable lubricating container  24  with a sealing unit  44  that is used in conjunction with an oil reservoir  70  of an internal combustion engine  22 .  
         [0025]     The overall size, shape, and design of the container system  20  is a function of the environment in which the system is employed. The container  24  can be an existing retail container for motor or engine lubricants or can be designed for a specific purpose. For example, a small container is likely to be employed with devices where space and weight are a factor, e.g., chainsaws and hand-held lawn equipment. Further, where the employment environment permits, larger, more typical container geometries may be implemented. Additionally, the container  24  can have a graduated section and/or a viewing section located on a surface of the container  24 . In this manner, a visual inspection of the container  24  gives an oil level reading.  
         [0026]     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the container  24  includes a reducing area  36 , a neck  38 , and locking recesses  62 . In the preferred embodiment, the reducing area  36  and the neck  38  are located at one end of the container  24 . However, other geometries for the disposable lubricating container  24  are considered within the scope of this invention. For example, the oil container  24  may be cylindrical, rectangular, trapezoidal, square, circular or any other shape. In each physical arrangement, the location and shape of the reducing area  36  and neck  38  are controlled by the spatial limitations of the container&#39;s deployment. The neck  38  and reducing area  36  are typically employed at the lowest elevation point of the container  24  as it is oriented on the machine element. In this manner all of the lubricating oil is allowed to drain from the container  24  prior to removal of the container  24 .  
         [0027]     The neck  38  provides an opening to the inside of the container  24 . The neck  38  is capped by a seal  52  prior to operation. Also, the neck  38  is designed to receive the mated sealing unit  44   a.  The sealing unit  44   a  houses a penetrating tube  42   a  and a vent  40  acting as a self-tapping fluid transfer system. The penetrating tube  42   a  is designed such that upon insertion of the sealing unit  44   a  into the container  24 , the seal  52  is broken. The penetrating tube  42   a  further serves as the transfer structure for passing the lubricating oil from the container  24  to the reservoir  70 , directly into a fuel/oil blending structure (not shown) if no reservoir is employed, or lubrication site of another machine element. In the preferred embodiment, the sealing unit  44   a  is preferably constructed from hardened rubber. However, other materials, such as polymer-based plastic and resin, are considered within the scope of this invention. When the sealing unit  44   a  is inserted into the neck  38 , the vent  40  is in fluid communication with a cartridge vent tube  30  located on the inside of the container  24 . The cartridge vent tube  30  provides air to enter the container  24  in order to equalize pressure within the container  24  as the lubricating oil is used up.  
         [0028]     The container system  20  also includes a carrier  48  for securing the container  24  to the engine  22 . However, the container system  20  can also be attached to a device employing the engine  22  or any other machine part without a carrier if desired. The carrier  48  includes locking arms  32 , each with a locking arm point  60   a.  The locking arm points  60  are received by respective locking recesses  62  in a manner that keeps the container  24  from moving excessively. The locking arm points  60   a  are located on longitudinally disposed ends of the carrier  48 . For example, the container can slide, snap or plug into or otherwise attach itself to the carrier. The locking arm points  60  are located on longitudinally disposed ends of the carrier  48 . For example, the locking recesses  62  may run longitudinally along the sides of container  24 , in a direction parallel to the central access of the container  24 . The carrier  48  is designed to mate with the locking recesses  62  of the container  24  such that the carrier  48  securely holds the container  24 .  
         [0029]     Material choice for the carrier is variable. The carrier is constructed of material allowing the locking arms  32  to elastically deform while inserting the container  24  into the carrier  48  while maintaining substantially rigid characteristics. Additionally, as the carrier acts as a heat shield for the container, the material choice for the carrier preferably is thermally resistant. The carrier  48 , in the preferred embodiment, is constructed of a thermal-resistant, polymer-based material, such as a thermo-set plastic. However, any other material capable of elastic deformation while maintaining substantial rigidity and thermal resistance is considered within the scope of this invention. For example, metallic, nonmetallic, or carbon-based materials, ceramics, alloys or composites thereof are employable as carrier  48  material. However, other container-attaching methods are considered within the scope of this invention.  
         [0030]     The carrier  48  includes carrier attachments  34  for affixing the carrier  48  to another rigid body, for example, an engine  22  or a housing. The attachments  34  serve the additional purpose of damping any vibration. As such, any combination of frictional fastening devices such as bolts, screws, rivets, pins, or the like with any known damping structure such as rubber bushings, plastic bumpers, or spring dampers are examples of attachments  34 .  
         [0031]     The transfer tube  42   a  is connected to the reservoir  70  or other machine element and is in fluid communication with reservoir tubes  72 . The reservoir  70  is illustrative of the remaining lubrication system of an engine. For clarity purposes, the specifics of any engine components have been left out of the illustration. This invention is employable with any engine arrangement or lubrication system structure.  
         [0032]     The safety seal  52  and a cap (not shown) are located at the end of the neck  38 . The cap is typically threaded on the neck and serves as a primary containment device for the lubricating oil. The seal  52  serves a secondary containment device for the oil. Typically the seal is a metallic foil that adheres to the terminal end of the neck  38 . However, other seal  52  materials can be used, for example, rubber or polymer based substances.  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the carrier  48 . The carrier  48  includes a tie strap  78  as an additional securing device for the container  24  (see  FIG. 1 ). The tie strap  78  is preferably an elastic member designed to extend over the container  24  and further assist in securing the container  24  to the carrier  48 . One end of the strap  78  is secured to a first side of the carrier  48 . The tie strap  78  contains a fastener  80  attached to the end of the strap  78  not secured to the carrier  48 . In the preferred embodiment, the fastener  80  is a hook. The hook of the fastener  80  attaches to a loop  82  that is secured to a side of the carrier  48  opposite the first side. Other fasteners are considered within the scope of this invention, for example, clamps, hook and loop arrangements, snaps, buckles, or clasps. Further, only one tie strap  78  is illustrated, however any number of straps, applied in any arrangement is within the scope of this invention.  
         [0034]      FIG. 3  depicts an alternate embodiment sealing mechanism. A sealing unit  44   b  is designed as male insert that fits inside the neck  38  (see  FIG. 1 ). The unit  44   b  includes a penetrating tube  42   b.  The tube  42   b  is hollow with a funnel-like shape capable of puncturing the safety seal  52 . Further, the unit  44   b  includes a sealing ring  56   a  that is annularly located around the outer surface of the sealing unit  44   b.  The sealing ring  56   a  increases the internal biasing force of sealing unit  44   b  against the internal surface of neck  38  and further helps to maintain the sealing unit&#39;s positive connection with the container  24 . The sealing ring  56   a  also serves to prevent leakage of the lubricating oil inside the container  24  to the outside environment. Additionally, an attachment ring  84  is used to further maintain the connection between the sealing unit  44  and the container  24 . The attachment ring  84  is designed to threadably, or otherwise attach itself to the container  24 /neck  38 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  shows an alternative embodiment sealing mechanism. A sealing unit  44   c  serves as a female counterpart for the neck  38 . In this embodiment, the internal diameter of the sealing unit  44   c  is slightly larger then the external diameter of the neck  38 . When sealing unit  44   c  is connected to the neck  38 , neck  38  is encompassed by the sealing unit  44   c  and is biased by a sealing ring  56   b  located on the inner wall of the unit  44   c.  The unit  44   c  includes a penetrating tube  42   c  for puncturing the foil seal  52  and for transferring the lubricating oil within the container  24  to the reservoir  70 .  
         [0036]     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.