Disposable sheath for oil filter removal and containment
OwnerCap Shaferinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disposable oil filter containment sheath is provided for use during oil changes for combustion engines. The sheath has a closed bottom, a cylindrical sidewall, and an open top. The resilient sheath is rolled to an initial collapsed position for placement on the bottom of an oil filter mounted on the engine, and it is partially unrolled along the filter. The filter can then be loosened to allow oil to drain into the sheath for capturing a reservoir. After the filter is removed from the engine, the sheath is completely unrolled and tied at the top so as to fully enclose and contain the oil filter and oil. The sheath and its contents are then ready for disposal.
Claims11
A method of removing an oil filter threadably attached to an engine, comprising the steps of:
- providing a sheath having an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a cylindrical sidewall with flow channels extending between the open top end and the closed bottom end, the sheath being made of a resilient, stretchable material, the cylindrical sidewall of the sheath initially being in a rolled configuration;
- cracking the oil filter loose from the engine by applying an unscrewing force;
- stretching the open top of the sheath over a bottom of the oil filter;
- partially unrolling the rolled sidewall of the sheath toward a top of the oil filter;
- further unscrewing the oil filter without detaching the oil filter from the engine;
- allowing oil to drain into the sheath through the flow channels to a reservoir;
- removing the oil filter from the engine after oil has ceased dripping or flowing from the oil filter;
- and
- unrolling the remaining rolled sidewall to a position beyond the top of the removed oil filter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.