Abstract:
A remote oil fill assembly for an internal combustion engine that has an engine oil fill point is provided. The remote oil fill assembly comprises a main body portion, an engine oil port end, and an oil fill end. The engine oil port end is disposed at a first end of the main body portion. The oil port end is fixedly attached to the engine oil fill point. The oil fill end is disposed at a second end of the main body portion. A flow path forms between the engine oil port end and the oil fill end to deliver fluid to the engine oil fill point.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to engine having a remote oil fill tube, and more particularly to a single piece remote oil fill tube that allows oil to be added to the engine. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Many modern internal combustion engines are mounted in vehicles in locations that attempt to minimize the amount of space required for a vehicle&#39;s engine bay. Modern internal combustion engines contain additional emissions equipment that requires additional space within the vehicle&#39;s engine bay, further limiting access to portions of the engine. Additionally, in some vehicles, particularly large trucks, the engine may be large, making it difficult for a person to reach many areas of the engine. For example, in some large trucks having diesel engines, an oil fill port of the engine may be located in an area that is either difficult to reach, due to the physical size of the engine, or difficult to access, due to engine components being in close proximity to each other and the vehicle. As space in the vehicle engine bay is reduced, it may become more difficult to easily access portions of the engine. Thus, adding oil to a vehicle may often be a difficult task that may spill oil, or may slow the process. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    According to one embodiment, a remote oil fill assembly for an internal combustion engine that has an engine oil fill point is provided. The remote oil fill assembly comprises a main body portion, an engine oil port end, and an oil fill end. The engine oil port end is disposed at a first end of the main body portion. The oil port end is fixedly attached to the engine oil fill point. The oil fill end is disposed at a second end of the main body portion. A flow path forms between the engine oil port end and the oil fill end to deliver fluid to the engine oil fill point. 
         [0004]    According to another embodiment, a remote oil fill assembly for an internal combustion engine having an engine oil fill point is provided. The remote oil fill assembly comprises a main body portion, an over-molded engine oil port end, an oil fill end, and a removable cap. The over-molded engine oil port end is disposed at a first end of the main body portion. The over-molded engine oil port end forms a seal with an engine oil fill point. The oil fill end is disposed at a second end of the main body portion. The removable oil fill cap removably connects to the oil fill end. A flow path forms between the engine oil port end and the oil fill end to deliver fluid to the engine oil fill point. 
         [0005]    According to a further embodiment, a remote oil fill assembly for an internal combustion engine having an engine oil fill point is provided. The remote oil fill assembly comprises a main body portion, an over-molded engine oil port end, an oil fill end, a bellows region, and a removable oil fill cap. The over-molded engine oil port end is disposed at a first end of the main body portion. The over-molded engine oil port end forms a seal with an engine oil fill point. The oil fill end is disposed at a second end of the main body portion. The bellows region provides a flexible area on the remote oil fill assembly. The bellows region is disposed between the over-molded engine oil port end and the oil fill end of the remote oil fill assembly. The removable oil fill cap removably connects to the oil fill end. A flow path forms between the engine oil port end and the oil fill end to deliver fluid to the engine oil fill point. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a remote engine oil fill. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a remote engine oil fill assembly  10  for an internal combustion engine. The engine oil fill assembly  10  has a body portion  12 . The body portion  12  has an engine oil port end  14  and an oil fill end  16 . The engine oil port end  14  is located at a distal end of the engine oil fill assembly  10 , while the oil fill end  16  is located at a proximal end of the engine oil fill assembly  10 . The body portion  12  of the engine oil fill assembly may have a generally elongate shape. 
         [0008]    The engine oil port end  14  of the engine oil fill assembly  10  connects to an oil fill point located on the engine. The engine oil port end  14  forms a sealing surface with the oil fill point of the engine. The sealing surface reduces or prevents oil from leaking between the engine oil fill assembly  10  and the engine&#39;s oil fill point. It is contemplated that the engine&#39;s oil fill point is located on a valve cover of the engine. 
         [0009]    The oil fill end  16  of the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  is adapted to receive a removable fill cap  18 . The removable fill cap  18  prevents oil from flowing out of the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  when the engine is operating. The removable fill cap  18  additionally prevents debris, such as dirt, dust, or other fluids, from entering the remote engine oil fill assembly  10 , from which the debris could enter the engine and cause damage to the engine. The removable fill cap  18  may be connected to the oil fill end  16  of the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  in a variety of manners, such as, for example, via threads, a press fit, a friction fit. Thus, the oil fill end  16  may have internal threads adapted to interact with threads on the removable fill cap  18 . 
         [0010]    The remote engine oil fill assembly  10  additionally has a flexible bellows region  20  disposed between the engine oil port end  14  and the oil fill end  16 . The flexible bellows region  20  forms a bellows that allows the body portion  12  to be flexed for routing the engine oil fill assembly  10 . Thus, the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  may be shaped via the bellows region  20  such that the engine oil fill assembly  10  may be used with a variety of engines, in a variety of vehicles, or with a variety of vehicle and engine configurations. For example, certain engine applications may have different accessories, such as air compressors, or hydraulic pumps that vary from one vehicle to the next vehicle, thus the flexible bellows region  20  allows the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  to be routed around, or through, these accessories such that the user may readily access the oil fill end  16  of the remote engine oil fill assembly  10 . 
         [0011]    A mounting structure  22  is additionally disposed on a periphery of the body portion  12  of the remote engine oil fill assembly  10 . The mounting structure  22  forms a through hole  24  disposed to receive a fastener, such as a bolt, screw, rivet, or the like, to secure the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  to the engine or the vehicle. The mounting structure  22  additionally stabilizes the remote engine oil fill assembly  10 . 
         [0012]    The remote engine oil fill assembly  10  is a single component made via blow-molding and over-molding processes. The use of over-molding allows materials with different hardness values to be used in various portions of the remote engine oil fill assembly  10 . For example, the main body  12  may be molded form somewhat rigid, oil resistant, and heat resistant material, such polypropylene, although other polymeric materials may be used. The engine oil port end  14  of the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  may be over-molded with a material that is softer than that used for the main body  12 . The softer material used for the engine oil port end  14  allows a better seal to form between the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  and the oil fill point of the engine. Similarly, the oil fill end  16  of the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  may additionally be over-molded with a material softer than that used for the main body  12 . The oil fill end  16  additionally is provided with features to allow the removable fill cap  18  to be removably mounted to the oil fill end  16 . For example, the oil fill end  16  may be provided with threads to attach the removable fill cap  18 , the oil fill end  16  may have a taper to form a friction fit with the removable fill cap  18 , or the oil fill cap  18  may be sized such that an interference fit is formed with the removable fill cap  18 . 
         [0013]    The bellows region  20  provides flexibility to the remote engine oil fill assembly  10 . The bellows region  20  has a number of The bellows region  20  may be sized such that flexibility of the bellows region  20  may be controlled. For example, the geometry of the bellows regions  20  may include a variable number of annular protrusions  20   a  that form the bellows region  20  by projecting outwardly from the main body  12 . Axial spacing between annular protrusions  20   a , axial width of the annular protrusions  20   a , and lateral protruding extent of the annular protrusions  20   a  may all be varied to provide control of flexibility if the bellows region  20 . Thus, it is contemplated in certain embodiments that the bellows region  20  provides a great deal of flexibility, while in other embodiments the bellows region  20  offers only limited flexibility. 
         [0014]    The use of over-molding and blow-molding allow the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  to be made with a single component comprising the main body  12 , the engine oil port end  14  and the oil fill end  16 . The use of a single component reduces the likelihood of a leak forming in the remoter engine oil fill assembly  10 , as no joints are required as would be needed if multiple components are used. 
         [0015]    The remote engine oil fill assembly  10  is in fluid communication with the engine&#39;s oil fill point. The remote engine oil fill assembly  10  is adapted to position oil fill end  16  to a location more accessible to a user than the engine&#39;s oil fill point, allowing engine oil to more conveniently be added to the engine. The accessibility provided by the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  reduces the difficulty in adding oil to the engine, therefore, making adding oil to the engine a less time consuming process. Thus, the remote engine oil fill assembly  10  may result in better service habits for the engine, as adding engine oil, such as during an oil change or if the engine oil level is low, is a quicker and more convenient procedure.