Patent Publication Number: US-2023151745-A1

Title: Cleaning system for vehicle oil circuit

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cleaning system for a vehicle oil circuit. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     Engine oil is used for lubrication, sealing, cooling, cleaning and rust prevention. Specifically, the engine oil may be used to prevent abrasion between adjacent moving parts, form an oil film between surfaces of pistons and cylinders to avoid gas penetration, serve as a cooling agent, remove carbon deposition and oil sludge from the engine, or coat on metal parts to inhibit oxidation. 
     However, the oil sludge may deposit in the engine (such as the crankcase) and the vehicle oil circuit in long-term use, which may decrease effects of the engine oil, such as cooling, cleaning and lubrication effects, and influence operation of the vehicle. 
     The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above-mentioned disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning system for a vehicle oil circuit, which can use a waste heat of oil from the vehicle oil circuit to warm a detergent so as to increase decontamination effect of the detergent. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides a cleaning system for a vehicle oil circuit, including a heat exchange unit. The heat exchange unit includes an oil inlet channel, a first container, a second container and an oil outlet channel. At least a portion of the first container is located within an interior of the second container. The first container defines a first space, and the second container and the first container define a second space therebetween. The first space is non-communicated with the second space, and the first space is communicated with the oil inlet channel and the oil outlet channel. The oil inlet channel is configured to guide an oil from the vehicle oil circuit to the first space, and the oil outlet channel is configured to discharge the oil from the first space. The first space is configured to receive the oil, and the second space is configured to receive a detergent. When the oil is in the first space, a heat of the oil is transferred to the detergent through the first container. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a stereogram of a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a drawing showing an arrangement according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  3    is a stereogram of a heat exchange unit according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  4    is a breakdown drawing of  FIG.  3   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a cross sectional view taken along the line A-A of  FIG.  3   ; and 
         FIG.  6    is a cross sectional view taken along the line B-B of  FIG.  3   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIGS.  1  to  6    for a preferable embodiment of the present invention. A cleaning system for a vehicle oil circuit of the present invention includes a heat exchange unit  1 . 
     The heat exchange unit  1  includes an oil inlet channel  21 , a first container  3 , a second container  4  and an oil outlet channel  22 . At least a portion of the first container  3  is located within an interior of the second container  4 . The first container  3  defines a first space  31 , and the second container  4  and the first container  3  define a second space  41  therebetween. The first space  31  is non-communicated with the second space  41 , and the first space  31  is communicated with the oil inlet channel  21  and the oil outlet channel  22 . The oil inlet channel  21  is configured to guide an oil  81  from the vehicle oil circuit to the first space  31 , and the oil outlet channel  22  is configured to discharge the oil  81  from the first space  31 . The first space  31  is configured to receive the oil  81 , and the second space  41  is configured to receive a detergent  82 . Understandably, the vehicle oil circuit of a vehicle is cleaned when the vehicle is operating so that a temperature of the oil  81  (such as engine oil) in the vehicle oil circuit is higher than a room temperature. When the oil  81  is in the first space  31 , the heat of the oil  81  is transferred to the detergent  82  through the first container  3  so that the detergent  82  is warmed and activated by the heat of the oil  81  to provide good decontamination effect. 
     In this embodiment, the first container  3  is entirely disposed within the second space  41  so as to increase a contact area of the first container  3  with the detergent  82 . Specifically, the first container  3  includes a communication segment  33  and an enlarged segment  32  communicated with each other, and a diametrical dimension of the enlarged segment  32  is larger than a diametrical dimension of the communication segment  33 . Therefore, the enlarged segment  32  provides a large space to receive the oil  81  and slow down a flow rate of the oil  81  so as to have sufficient time for heat exchange. Moreover, the enlarged segment  32  is communicated with the oil inlet channel  21  to receive the oil  681  with a higher temperature, and the communication segment  33  is communicated with the oil outlet channel  22  to discharge the oil  81 . 
     Preferably, the enlarged segment  32  is made of a material with a thermal conductivity greater than 60 W/m·K for rapid heat transfer and good heat exchange efficiency. For example, the enlarged segment  32  may be made of metal, such as copper, aluminum, iron, or the like. 
     Specifically, the second container  4  further includes a first cover body  42 , a second cover body  43 , a barrel  44 , a plurality of threaded rods  45  and a plurality of nuts  46 . The first cover body  42  and the second cover body  43  are disposed on two opposite sides of the barrel  44  in an assembling direction  9 . One end of each of the plurality of threaded rod  45  is screwed to the second cover body  43 , and the other end of each of the plurality of threaded rods  45  is screwed to the first cover body  42 . The plurality of nuts  46  are screwed to the plurality of threaded rod  45  and abutted against the first cover body  42  so as to urge the first cover body  42  and the second cover body  43  to move in a direction toward each other and be biased against the barrel  44  for tight connection. In this embodiment, the first container  3  is positioned on the second cover body  43 ; a number of the plurality of threaded rod  45  is three, and the plurality of threaded rods  45  are disposed in the second container  4  and arranged at equal angular intervals about the first container  3 . 
     The cleaning system for the vehicle oil circuit further includes an atomizing unit  62 , and the second container  4  includes a gas inlet channel  47 . When the second space  41  is partially filled with the detergent  82 , a portion of the second space  41  filled with the detergent  82  defines a liquid region  411 , a portion of the second space  41  without the detergent  82  defines a gas region  412 . The gas inlet channel  47  is communicated with the gas region  412 , and the atomizing unit  62  includes three communication tubes  621  communicated with one another. One of the three communication tubes  621  is communicated with the gas region  412 , another of the three communication tubes  621  is communicated with the liquid region  411 , and the other of the three communication tubes  621  is configured to be communicated with an outlet  72 . For using the detergent  82 , a high pressure gas is supplied into the second space  41  through the gas inlet channel  47 , and the high pressure gas urges the detergent  82  to flow into the atomizing unit  62 . At the same time, a portion of the high pressure gas is supplied into the atomizing unit  62 , and the detergent  82  in the atomizing unit  62  is dispersed and atomized by the high pressure gas. Then, the detergent  82  being atomized is discharged from the outlet  72  for cleaning operation. 
     In this embodiment, the atomizing unit  62  is located at a side of the plurality of threaded rods  45 , and the gas region  412  is located above the liquid region  411  based on a ground. Furthermore, the second container  4  further includes a liquid inlet  48  communicated with the second space  41  so that an operator can add the detergent  82  into the second container  4  through the liquid inlet  48 . A plug member  71  is detachably screwed to a peripheral wall defining the liquid inlet  48  so as to close the liquid inlet  48 . 
     The cleaning system for the vehicle oil circuit further includes a filter unit  5 , and the filter unit  5  is communicated between the oil inlet channel  21  and the first container  3 . In this embodiment, an end of the oil inlet channel  21  is configured to be communicated with an insertion hole of an oil level gauge of the vehicle oil circuit, and an end of the oil outlet channel  22  is configured to be communicated with an inlet of an engine oil of the vehicle oil circuit. Therefore, the oil  81  is circulated repeatedly in a circulation loop formed by the vehicle oil circuit, the filter unit  5  and the heat exchange unit  1 , and the filter unit  5  can filter off oil sludge or impurities in the oil  81 . The oil  81  which is filtered is guided to the heat exchange unit  1  for heat exchange, then returned to the vehicle oil circuit, which can heat the detergent  82  and clean the vehicle oil circuit simultaneously. 
     Specifically, the filter unit  5  includes a third container  51 , a first oil tube  53 , a filter member  55  and a second oil tube  54 . The third container  51  defines a third space  52 , and the heat exchange unit  1  further includes a communication channel  23  communicated between the first container  3  and the third container  51 . One end of the first oil tube  53  is communicated with the oil inlet channel  21 , and the other end of the first oil tube  53  is communicated with the third space  52 . One end of the second oil tube  54  is communicated with the communication channel  23 , and the other end of the second oil tube  54  is communicated the third space  52 . The filter member  55  covers an opening of the second oil tube  54 . The first oil tube  53  is configured to guide the oil  81  in the oil inlet channel  21  to the third space  52 , and the second oil tube  54  is configured to guide the oil  81  in the third space  52  to the communication channel  23 . 
     Specifically, the filter member  55  is cylindrical, and the filter member  55  and the second oil tube  54  are coaxially arranged so as to have good filter efficiency. A sidewall of the third container  51  is transparent so that the third space  52  is viewable and convenient to clean. Moreover, the cleaning system for the vehicle oil circuit further includes a driving member  61 . The driving member  61  is communicated between the filter unit  5  and the first container  3 , and the driving member  61  is configured to drive the oil  81  to move from the filter unit  5  toward the heat exchange unit  1 . In this embodiment, the driving member  61  is a pump, and the driving member  61  is communicated between the second oil tube  54  and the first container  3  by the communication channel  23 . 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.