Valve cover assembly for internal combustion engines

A one-piece plastic cover product, suitable for use on an internal combustion engine having an engine cylinder head, said cover product including:

• a dome-like upper portion which acts as a cover over the cylinder head area of the engine,
• a peripheral flange portion adapted for sealing engagement to the cylinder head,
• a plurality of apertures through said flange portion through which a plurality of fasteners can be inserted to secure said cover product in sealing engagement to the cylinder head,
• a conduit passageway member formed as part of the one-piece plastic cover product, said member extending inside the cover, and being adapted to receive an air/oil mixture associated with operation of the engine and to condense oil out of the air/oil mixture,
• at least one or more apertures located in a lower part of the passageway member to permit the oil which is condensed to drain back into the engine,
• and wherein said cover product is formed from high temperature resistant material selected from at least one of the group consisting of a thermoplastic and a thermoset plastic material.

A method of separating oil from an air/oil vapor mixture in an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:

• providing a one-piece molded or cast valve cover product which is positioned in sealing engagement to cover the cylinder head area of the engine,
• said cover product including a peripheral flange portion adapted for sealing engagement to the cylinder head through use of a seal gasket member, and
• a conduit-like passageway formed as an integral part of the one-piece molded or cast valve cover product in an upper portion thereof relative to the engine cylinder head, and at least one or more apertures formed in a lower part of said passageway,
• allowing the air/oil vapor mixture to pass into said conduit-like passageway and thereby condensing oil out of the air/oil mixture to permit the oil which is condensed to drain back through said apertures into a lower part of the engine.