Crankcase breather having a fitted retainer for retaining a valved cup assembly

In an internal combustion engine including a crankcase having a crankcase interior, a crankcase breather assembly for venting of combustion gases from the crankcase interior, comprising:

• a breather opening in the crankcase for providing communication of gases out from the crankcase interior, said opening including a peripheral edge;
• a cup in said opening and including a valve for permitting the venting of gases from the crankcase interior upon the condition of positive crankcase pressure;
• and
• a retaining member being interlocked with said cup to form a separate breather unit that is insertable into said breather opening, said retaining member including a locking portion disposed in said opening at least partially beyond said peripheral edge and forming an interference fit therein to positively lock said retaining member with said opening.

In an internal combustion engine including a crankcase having a crankcase interior, a crankcase breather assembly for venting of combustion gases from the crankcase interior, comprising:

• a breather opening in the crankcase for providing communication of gases out from the crankcase interior, said opening including a peripheral edge;
• a cup in said opening and including a protruding lip and a valve for permitting the venting of gases from the crankcase interior upon a condition of positive crankcase pressure;
• and
• a retaining member that engages and retains said cup, said retaining member including an inner groove, wherein said protruding lip is received in said inner groove to retain said cup on said retaining member and an outer groove that frictionally receives said peripheral edge thereby retaining said retaining member in said opening.

In an internal combustion engine including a crankcase having a crankcase interior, a crankcase breather assembly for venting of combustion gases from the crankcase interior, comprising:

• a breather opening in the crankcase for providing communication of gases out from the crankcase interior, said opening including a peripheral edge;
• a cup in said opening, said cup defining a breather chamber and including a valve for permitting the venting of gases from the crankcase interior to said breather chamber upon a condition of positive crankcase pressure;
• and
• a retaining member that covers, engages and retains said cup, said retaining member including an outer groove that frictionally receives said peripheral edge thereby retaining said retaining member in said opening, said retaining member further including a vent opening therein for venting gases from said breather chamber to the atmosphere.

In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase interior, a method of assembling a crankcase breather assembly for venting gases from the crankcase interior, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an opening in the crankcase, said opening including a peripheral edge;
• providing a cup including a valve disposed therein for venting gases from the crankcase interior upon the condition of positive crankcase pressure;
• attaching a retaining member including a downwardly extending portion over at least a portion of said cup for retaining said cup and forming a breather unit;
• and
• axially inserting said breather unit into said opening such that said downwardly extending portion is compressed inwardly by said peripheral edge to cause a lower tip portion of said downwardly extending portion to deform radially outwardly beyond said peripheral edge, thereby locking said breather unit in place.