Claims:
1. An oil filling and blow-by gas filtration device (200) for a vehicle, said device (200) comprising:
a first passage (220) configured to facilitate filling of oil in a crankcase (210) of an engine (50), said first passage (220) having an open end (225), said first passage (220) terminating in said crankcase (210);
an oil cap (240) removably fitted on said open end (225);
a second passage (230) configured to receive blow-by gases from said crankcase (210), said second passage (230) having a closed end (245), said closed end (245) terminating in said first passage (220);
a mesh (260) disposed in said second passage (230), said mesh (260) configured to filter blow-by gases received in said second passage (230); and
an outlet (290) configured in said second passage (230) to facilitate outflow of blow-by gases filtered by said mesh (260).
2. The device (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein an angle between said first passage (220) and said second passage (230) ranges from 30° to 40°.
3. The device (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outlet (290) is a through hole defined perpendicular to said second passage (230).
4. The device (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said closed end (245) is closed by a welch plug (250).
5. The device (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mesh (260) is disposed proximal to said closed end (245).
6. The device (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mesh (260) has a weight in a range of 15 grams to 40 grams.
7. The device (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device (200) includes an adapter (300) connected to said outlet (290).
8. The device (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outlet (290) is in fluid communication with a blow-by gas hose (310) to release the blow-by gases to atmosphere.
, Description:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See section 10, Rule 13]

AN OIL FILLING AND BLOW-BY GAS FILTRATION DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE

MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LIMITED, A COMPANY REGISTERED UNDER THE INDIAN COMPANIES ACT, 1913, HAVING ADDRESS AT MAHINDRA RESEARCH VALLEY (MRV), MAHINDRA WORLD CITY, PLOT NO: 41/1, ANJUR P.O., CHENGALPATTU – 603004, KANCHEEPURAM DIST., TAMIL NADU, INDIA

THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to vehicles and more particularly to oil filling and blow-by gas filtration devices in vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
During combustion of fuel in an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, high pressure developed at the top of a piston of the engine pushes combustion gases as well as oil droplets and fuel to pass through the piston rings and to enter into a crankcase of the engine. The mixture of gases, oil droplets, and fuel particles is known as ‘blow-by’. Typically, the blow-by gases exit the engine through an oil filling port.
Figure 1 shows a conventional arrangement of an oil filling elbow 100 and a crankcase 120 for releasing out the blow-by gases out of the engine. The oil filling elbow 100 includes a mesh 130 that is arranged within a cap 140 fitted on an open end of the oil filling elbow 100. The blow-by gases are filtered using the mesh 130 and then released out of the oil filling elbow 100. A hose pipe 150 is connected to the oil filling elbow 100 via an adapter 160 to receive the blow-by gases. The hose pipe 150 releases the blow-by gases into the atmosphere. As per the standard emission norms, blow-by gases are filtered before releasing them out of the engine. The mesh 130 has a particular mesh size to effectively filter the blow-by gases. However, the mesh size is required to be altered according to oil carry over filtering efficiency. In such conventional arrangements, there is limitation on the mesh size as only a fixed sized mesh 130 can be disposed in the cap 140. Hence, it is very difficult to vary the mesh size according to oil carry over filtering efficiency due to constraints of the cap 140. Further, the arrangement of mesh 130 in the cap 140 makes oil filling difficult through the oil filling elbow 100.
Therefore, there is felt a need of a device for oil filling and blow-by gas filtration in a vehicle, which alleviates the aforementioned drawbacks in conventional arrangements.
SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an oil filling and blow-by gas filtration device in a vehicle. The device comprises a first passage, an oil cap, a second passage, a mesh, and an outlet. The first passage is configured to facilitate filling of oil in crankcase of an engine of a vehicle. The first passage has an open end and terminates in the crankcase. The oil cap is removable and fitted on the open end of the first passage. The second passage is configured to receive blow-by gases from the crankcase. The second passage has a closed end and terminates in the first passage. The mesh is disposed in the second passage and is configured to filter blow-by gases received in the second passage. The outlet is configured in the second passage to facilitate outflow of blow-by gases filtered by the mesh.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
Figure 1 illustrates a conventional arrangement of oil filling elbow for oil filling and blow-by gas filtration.
Figure 2 illustrates an isometric view of an oil filling and blow-by gas filtration device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the device of figure 2.
Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view of the device of figure 2.
Figure 5 illustrates an isometric view depicting mounting of the device on an engine of a vehicle.
Figure 6 illustrates an enlarged view of the device mounted on the engine of a vehicle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing objects of the present invention are accomplished, and the problems and shortcomings associated with the prior art, techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention as described below in the preferred embodiments.
Although specific terms are used in the following description for sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to particular structure of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention. References in the specification to “embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or function described in detail thereby omitting known constructions and functions for clear description of the present invention.
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
In general aspect, the present invention relates to an oil filling and blow-by gas filtration device for a vehicle.
The device has two separate passages, viz. a first passage and a second passage. The first passage is configured for filling oil in a crankcase of an engine and the second passage is configured for outflow of blow-by gases. A mesh is arranged in the second passage for filtering the blow-by gases. The mesh separates oil and fuel droplets or fine particles from the blow-by gases. The filtered blow-by gas is then released to the atmosphere or connected to an air cleaner of the vehicle through a hose pipe connected to an outlet of the device. In an embodiment, the second passage can accommodate meshes having variable gauge sizes according to the required oil carry over filtering efficiency.
The device, of the present invention, is now described in detail with reference to accompanying figures 2 to 6.
Referring to figures 2 to 6, a device 200 is shown. The device 200 is connected to a crankcase 210 of an engine 50 of a vehicle. The device 200 comprises a first passage 220 and a second passage 230. The first passage 220 is in fluid communication with an interior of the crankcase 210. The first passage 220 is configured to facilitate filling of oil in the crankcase 210 of the engine 50.
The first passage 220 has an open end 225. An oil cap 240 is removably fitted on the open end 225 of the first passage 220. The first passage 220 terminates in the crankcase 210. The oil cap 240 is removed to fill oil in the first passage 220. The first passage 220 facilitates flow of the oil to the crankcase 210. The oil cap 240 is fitted on the open end 225 of the first passage 220 after filling oil. The first passage 220 has a shape and size which is determined to easily fill oil and to prevent a back flow of oil.
The second passage 230 is configured to receive the blow-by gases from the crankcase 210. The second passage 230 has a closed end 245. In an embodiment, the end 245 is closed by a welch plug 250. The second passage 230 terminates in the first passage 220 so that the blow-by gases from the crankcase 210 can enter into the second passage 230.
The second passage 230 is configured substantially vertical to facilitate outflow of the blow-by gases. The angle between the first passage 220 and the second passage 230 ranges from 30° to 40°. This angle facilitates easy oil filling through the first passage 220 and easy blow-by gas exit through the second passage 230. Further, such angle prevents back flow of oil during oil filling activity.
The device 200 includes a mesh 260 disposed in the second passage 230. The mesh 260 is configured to filter the blow-by gases received in the second passage 230. The second passage 230 may have various arrangements in alternative embodiments to arrange the mesh 260 therein. For example, in an embodiment, the second passage 230 includes a flange to support the mesh 260 thereon. In another embodiment, the second passage 230 has two sections, viz., a first section 270 for receiving the mesh 260 and a second section 280.
The blow-by gases first enter the second section 280 and travels to the first section 270 to pass through the mesh 260. The cross-section of the first section 270 is more than the cross-section of the second section 280 to prevent sliding of the mesh 260 in downward direction. In another embodiment, the mesh 260 is disposed proximal to the closed end 245 of the second passage 230.
The second passage 230 is configured to receive meshes of variable gauge sizes. The mesh size is chosen based on oil carry over filtering efficiency. In an embodiment, the second passage 230 is configured to receive the mesh having weight ranging from 15 grams to 40 grams.
The device 200 includes an outlet 290 configured in the second passage 230 to facilitate outflow of blow-by gases filtered by the mesh 260. The outlet 290 is positioned on the second passage 230 such that the blow-by gases enters the outlet 290 after filtration.
In an embodiment, the outlet 290 is a through hole configured perpendicular to axis of the second passage 230. However, the outlet 290 can be in any other suitable form in other embodiments of the present invention.
The device 200 includes an adapter 300. The adapter 300 is connected to the outlet 290, and facilitates fluid communication between the outlet 290 and other pipes. In an embodiment, the outlet 290 is in fluid communication with a blow-by gas hose 310 via the adapter 300 to release the blow-by gases to atmosphere or an air cleaner of the vehicle. The blow-by gas hose 310 is connected to the adapter 300 using a clamp spring band.
Referring to Figures 2 to 4, during operation, the blow-by gases enter the second passage 230 from the crankcase 210. The gases are filtered in the mesh 260. During filtration, oil and fuel droplets, particles and other sediments are separated from the gases. The filtered gases are released to the atmosphere through the outlet 290 and the hose 310.
The device 200 provides separate passages for oil filling and blow-by gas filtration. Further, mesh of variable sizes can be accommodated in the device 200. The device 200 facilitates smooth oil filling without any back flow.
A conventional oil cap has small volume available inside the oil cap for mesh. The length of the conventional elbow cannot be extended because it will foul with the vehicle hood and the angle of the elbow needs to be maintained at around 30°, so that a user can easily fill the oil. Typically, the weight of the mesh in conventional oil cap design is 15 grams. There is no further scope to increase volume of oil cap, and thus mesh size in such cap cannot be varied. In the device of the present invention, as the mesh is accommodated in a different passage than the oil filling passage, meshes of different weights can be accommodated in the device. The volume inside the second passage of the device is kept enough to accommodate meshes of different weights. As mesh density (weight) increases, filtering efficiency improves. As per the performance requirement size of the mesh can be varied.
The foregoing description of specific embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others, skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
It is understood that various omission and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but such are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.
Figures are merely representational and are not drawn to scale. Certain portions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized. Figures illustrate various embodiments of the invention that can be understood and appropriately carried out by those of ordinary skill in the art.

List of Reference Numerals
50 – engine
100 – Conventional oil filling elbow
120 – Crankcase
130 – Mesh
140 – Cap
150 – Hose pipe
160 – Adapter
200 – Device
210 – Crankcase
220 – First passage 225 – Open end of the first passage
230 – Second passage
240 – Oil cap
245 – Closed end of the second passage
250 – Welch plug
260 – Mesh
270 – First section
280 – Second section
290 – Outlet
300 – Adapter
310 – Hose