Engine oil recirculation system for extended maintenance interval
AssigneeBriggs & Stratton Corporation
InventorsMarvin Klowak, Gary Gracyalny
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An oil recirculation system includes an engine lubricated by a flow of oil through the engine, a supplemental oil tank arranged to contain a quantity of oil, an oil inlet conduit arranged to fluidly connect the supplemental oil tank and the engine, an oil outlet conduit arranged to fluidly connect the supplemental oil tank and the engine, a first pump operable to pump oil from the supplemental oil tank to the engine through the oil outlet conduit; and a second pump operable to pump oil from the engine to the supplemental oil tank through the oil inlet conduit. wherein the oil inlet conduit is coupled to the supplemental oil tank at a location above where the oil outlet conduit is coupled to the supplemental oil tank.
Claims19
An oil recirculation system, comprising:
- an engine lubricated by a flow of oil through the engine;
- a supplemental oil tank arranged to contain a quantity of oil;
- an oil inlet conduit arranged to fluidly connect the supplemental oil tank and the engine;
- an oil outlet conduit arranged to fluidly connect the supplemental oil tank and the engine;
- a first pump operable to pump oil from the supplemental oil tank to the engine through the oil outlet conduit;
- and
- a second pump operable to pump oil from the engine to the supplemental oil tank through the oil inlet conduit;
- wherein the oil inlet conduit is coupled to the supplemental oil tank at a location above where the oil outlet conduit is coupled to the supplemental oil tank.
A ride-on mower, comprising:
- an engine lubricated by a flow of oil through the engine;
- a supplemental oil tank arranged to contain a quantity of oil;
- a seat arranged to define a forward and a rearward direction of the ride-on mower, wherein the engine and the supplemental oil tank are located rearward of the seat;
- an oil inlet conduit arranged to fluidly connect the supplemental oil tank and the engine;
- an oil outlet conduit arranged to fluidly connect the supplemental oil tank and the engine;
- a first pump operable to pump oil from the supplemental oil tank to the engine through the oil outlet conduit;
- and
- a second pump operable to pump oil from the engine to the supplemental oil tank through the oil inlet conduit;
- wherein the oil inlet conduit is coupled to the supplemental oil tank at a location above where the oil outlet conduit is coupled to the supplemental oil tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.