Patent Publication Number: US-5249488-A

Title: Oil filter remover

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to tools used to remove oil filters when oil filters are replaced in vehicles. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Oil lubricates vehicle engines, thereby reducing friction and wear in vehicle engines. Small particles and chemicals gradually enter the oil during engine operation and dirty the oil, making the oil less efficient and increasing engine friction and wear and eventually endangering the engine. If the oil is filtered, the rate of dirtying of the oil is decreased, and the oil can lubricate the engine for a longer period of time of operation of the engine. Even with a filter, the oil gradually dirties and must eventually be replaced. The filter removes unwanted material from the oil so that the filter also gradually dirties. Accordingly, the filter is frequently replaced when the oil is replaced. 
     The oil filter is normally within a container which is unscrewed to remove the oil filter. Because of a desire to make the engine compartment of as small a volume as possible, the oil filter is frequently squeezed into a hard to reach volume within the engine compartment. The engine is usually hot and those removing oil filters sometimes burn themselves when removing the oil filter. The time necessary to remove the oil filter is a function of oil filter placement within the engine compartment. If it is well placed, it only takes about 3 minutes, but in other vehicles such as certain Hyundais, Dodges, and Chevrolets, it may take as much as 20 minutes. The oil filter has residual oil which may dirty the hands of the person removing the oil filter. 
     What is needed, but not provided by the prior art to applicant&#39;s knowledge, is an inexpensive tool permitting oil filter removal in a short time without the problems which plague the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A lever actuated oil filter remover is presented. The oil filter remover is useful for removing and installing oil filters and comprises at least two and in a preferred example three generally identical coaxial about an axis arcuate shell-like coupling elements having fore and aft ends. The exterior surface of each arcuate shell-like coupling element is indented to protrude and define a circumferentially arcuate camming surface. 
     One ring spring couples each arcuate shell-like coupling element to each adjacent arcuate shell-like coupling element to cause the interior surfaces of the arcuate shell-like coupling elements to form a generally circular cylinder having a generally circular cylindrical shaped interior surface. The interior surface formed by the arcuate shaped elements coupling surfaces is of diameter incrementally greater than but about equal to the diameter of an oil filter. Said cylinder has an open fore end defined by the fore ends of the arcuate elements, which fore end fots over an oil filter for installation and removal. 
     A generally axially symmetric spider arm is coupled to the aft ends of each arcuate shell-like coupling element to leave the cylinder open at the fore end. The interior surface of the spider arm defines an axial spider post. 
     A generally axially symmetric circular cylindrical casing of interior diameter slightly greater than the exterior surface of the cylinder formed by the arcuate elements surrounds and encloses the coaxial arcuate shell-like elements and the spider arm. Said casing has fore and aft ends and is disposed around the spider arm and identical coaxial arcuate shell-like coupling elements coupled to the spider arm. The fore end of the casing is open. The interior surface of the casing defines a circumferential camming surface. The casing camming surface mates with circumferential camming surfaces defined by the exterior surface of the arcuate elements. The aft end exterior surface of the casing defines an away from axis near circumference lever post parallel to the axis. The interior surface of the lever post defines lever arm coupling means comprising a lever post hole therethrough parallel to the axis. A lever post pin is slideably coupled to the lever post interior surface in the hole. The casing aft end comprises an aft end surface which has an axial interior surface defining an axial casing post hole perpendicular to the axis through which is coupled the spider post. 
     The spider arm comprises an axial post axially disposed about the axis and an element coupling arm coupled from the axial post to each arcuate element to move the elements fore and aft as a function of axial post fore and aft movement. The spider arm has an aft end surface which includes an aft end interior surface defining a lever post hole therethrough perpendicular to the axis and parallel to post hole. A pin is slideably coupled within the surface. A lever arm has outer and inner ends. The lever arm has an interior surface defining a lever slot. The lever slot has an interior surface defining lever slot holes which mate with the pin so that the lever can force the spider arm fore and aft as the lever outer end is moved in the opposite direction generally parallel to the axis . Movement of the spider arm fore or aft moves (depending on the previous orientation) camming surfaces defined by the casing and arcuate elements together to spread the arcuate elements or apart to reduce the diameter of tile arcuate elements, thereby causing the arcuate elements to selectively grasp or release an oil filter for insertion or removal. 
    
    
     DRAWING DESCRIPTION 
     Reference should be made at this time to the following, detailed description which should be read in conjunction with the following drawings of which: 
     FIG. 1 is a 3/4 view of the cylinder of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partially cut away side view of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an view of the fore end of the casing of the invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is a partially cut away view of a pin and pin hole of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An oil filter remover 10 is presented. The oil filter remover 10 comprises at least two and in a preferred example three generally identical coaxial about an axis 30 arcuate shell-like coupling elements 14, having fore ends 15 and aft ends 17. The exterior surface 19 of each arcuate shell-like coupling element 14 is indented circumferentially to define a circumferentially arcuate camming surface 20. 
     One ring spring 16 couples each arcuate shell-like coupling element to each adjacent arcuate shell-like coupling element 14 to cause the interior surfaces 13 of the arcuate shell-like coupling elements 14 to form a generally circular cylinder 11 having a generally circular cylindrical shaped interior surface 13a. The interior surface 13a formed by the arcuate shaped elements 14 coupling surfaces 13 is of diameter about equal to the diameter of an oil filter (not shown) said cylinder 11 having an open fore end defined by the fore ends 15 of the arcuate elements 14. 
     A generally axially symmetric spider arm 24 is coupled to the aft ends 17 of each arcuate shell-like coupling element 14 to leave the cylinder 11 open at the fore end 15a. The interior surface 36 of the spider arm 24 defines an axial hole 36a therethrough. 
     A generally axially symmetric circular cylindrical casing 12 of interior diameter slightly greater than the exterior surface 11e of the cylinder 11 formed by the arcuate elements 14 surrounds and encloses the coaxial arcuate shell-like elements 14 and the spider arm 24. Said casing 12 has fore end 12f and aft end 12a and is disposed around the spider arm 24 and identical coaxial arcuate shell-like coupling elements 14 coupled to the spider arm 24. The fore end 12f of the casing 12 is open. The interior surface 12i of the casing 12 defines a circumferential camming surface 12c. Camming surface 12c mates with circumferential camming surfaces 14c defined by the exterior surface 14e of the arcuate elements 14. The camming surfaces 14c comprise the camming surface 20. 
     The aft end 12a of the casing 12 defines a near circumference lever post 22 parallel to the axis 30. The interior surface 22i of the lever post 22 defines a lever post hole 22h therethrough perpendicular to the axis 30. A lever post pin 22p is slideably coupled to the lever post interior surface 22i in the hole 22h. The casing aft end 12a comprises an aft end surface 12a which has an axial interior surface 12ai defining an axial casing post hole 12h parallel to the axis 30. 
     The spider arm comprises an axial post 24ap axially disposed about axis 30. The spider arm 24 comprises an element coupling arm 24eca coupled from axial post 24ap to each arcuate element 14 to move the elements 14 fore and aft as a function of axial post 24ap fore and aft movement. The spider arm has an aft end surface 24a which includes an aft end interior surface 24aei defining a lever post hole 24h therethrough perpendicular to the axis 30 and parallel to post hole 22h. A pin 24p is slideably coupled within surface 24i. A lever arm 26 has outer and inner ends 26o and 26ie. The lever arm 26 has an interior surface 26i defining a lever slot 26s. The lever slot 26s has an interior surface 26is defining lever slot holes 26h which mate with the pins 22p and 24p so that lever 26 can force spider arm 24 fore and aft as the outer end 26 o is moved in the opposite direction generally parallel to axis 30. Movement of spider arm 24 fore or aft moves (depending on the previous orientation) camming surfaces 12c and 14c together to spread elements 14 or apart to reduce the diameter of arcuate elements 14, thereby causing arcuate elements to selectively grasp or release an oil filter (not shown) for insertion or removal (not shown). 
     In operation, the lever arm 26 is moved to a first position to move cam surfaces 20, 12c together if it is desired to separate coupling elements 14 sufficiently to release an oil can (not shown) or slide the invention 10 over an oil can, and the lever arm is moved to the opposite position to separate the camming surfaces 20, 12c to cause the camming surfaces 20, 12c to force the coupling elements 14 fore ends 14e closer together to grasp and hold an oil can, a quicker, more efficient procedure than known to the prior art. 
     A particular example of the invention has been disclosed herein. Other examples will be obvious to those skilled in the art. The invention is limited only by the following claims.