Combustion Engine Crankcase Breather System and Method
OwnerJoe Mainieroinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a combustion engine, an exit stream of blow-by gases follows a fluid pathway through an oil and air separator and a breather filter, the oil and air separator including a first housing including a central chamber therein, the central chamber divided into a first outer portion and a second inner portion by a barrier; a filter material disposed between the first outer portion and the second inner portion; a cap directly coupled to the first housing, the cap including a first lumen therethrough, the first lumen including a first end disposed at the second inner portion; and a coupler removably coupling the cap and an extension portion including a second lumen therethrough.
Claims21
1-13. (canceled)
A quick-release coupler, comprising:
- a female coupler body defining a lumen configured to receive a male extension;
- a receptacle wall of the female coupler body having a plurality of bores extending through the receptacle wall;
- a plurality of ball detents respectively disposed in the bores and configured to move between an outward position and an inward position;
- a release collar disposed around an outer surface of the receptacle wall, the release collar being axially movable between (i) a retaining position in which the release collar biases the ball detents toward the inward position and (ii) a release position in which the ball detents are permitted to move toward the outward position;
- a collar spring biasing the release collar toward the retaining position;
- a shoulder on the receptacle wall and an inward protrusion on the release collar, wherein the collar spring bears between the shoulder and the inward protrusion;
- a retaining ring configured to limit axial travel of the release collar;
- an inner collar disposed within the female coupler body and configured to urge the ball detents toward the outward position;
- and
- an inner collar spring biasing the inner collar toward the ball detents, wherein, when the male extension is inserted into the lumen, the ball detents engage a retaining ridge on the male extension to retain the male extension in the female coupler body.
A method of releasing a male extension from a female coupler body of a quick-release coupler, the method comprising:
- inserting the male extension into a lumen of the female coupler body;
- retaining the male extension by capturing a retaining ridge on the male extension with a plurality of ball detents disposed in bores through a receptacle wall;
- sliding a release collar disposed around the receptacle wall from a retaining position to a release position against a collar spring;
- permitting the ball detents to move outward to disengage the retaining ridge;
- and
- withdrawing the male extension from the lumen.
A quick-release coupler, comprising:
- a female coupler body defining a lumen configured to receive a male extension;
- a plurality of detents carried by the female coupler body and configured to shift between (i) a retaining condition in which the detents engage a retention feature on the male extension to inhibit withdrawal of the male extension from the lumen and (ii) a release condition in which the detents are permitted to disengage the retention feature;
- a release member movable relative to the female coupler body between a retaining position and a release position, wherein in the retaining position the release member maintains the detents in the retaining condition and in the release position the detents are permitted to shift to the release condition;
- and
- a biasing member biasing the release member toward the retaining position, wherein the quick-release coupler is configured such that, when the release member is moved to the release position, the detents disengage the retention feature to permit withdrawal of the male extension from the lumen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.