Patent ID: 7632326

Claim:
A module mountable in the crankcase of a vehicle for removing gases therefrom, comprising: a housing having an opening communicable with said crankcase; a set of bearings mounted in said housing; a hollow shaft having first and second partitions providing a first, axially disposed closed chamber and a second, axially disposed chamber having an axially disposed outlet, said shaft being journaled in said bearings and cooperating with said housing and a pair of said bearings to provide a first annular chamber communicating with said crankcase through said opening in said housing and with said first axially disposed chamber of said shaft through a first shaft wall passageway, and cooperating with said housing and a pair of said bearings to provide a second annular chamber communicating with said first axial chamber of said shaft through a second shaft wall passageway and with said second axial chamber of said shaft through a third shaft wall passageway; a spiral, centrifugal separator mounted on and spaced from said hollow shaft, in said first annular chamber, about said first axially disposed closed chamber thereof; an impeller mounted on said hollow shaft in said second annular chamber, between said second and third shaft wall passageways; and means connectable to motive means for rotating said shaft about the axis thereof to cause gas laden with oil droplets to be drawn through said housing inlet opening, subjected to centrifugal action separting said oil droplets from said gases, said separated oil droplets to be expelled through said housing opening and said separated gases to be expelled through said axially disposed outlet of said shaft induced by said impeller.