US 6,655,342 B1Granted

Pre-lubrication system

OwnerAntonius G. Wendels, John W. Frencherinventors

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A pre-lubrication system that lubricates a vehicle engine prior to starting the engine. The system operates manually or when an engine has low oil pressure resulting from operating the engine during slow moving traffic or during an oil pump failure. In its basic form, the system consists of a system starter that applies oil through a pre-lube oil pump, a check valve, a vehicle engine oil filter, a vehicle engine adapter connected to a vehicle engine/pan, and a vehicle battery that powers the system. The system can also include an electronic control unit and an AND gate that allows automatic operation of the system when an oil sensing switch senses a drop in oil pressure. Additionally, the system can be designed to include a battery trickle-charger, an engine warming subsystem and a battery warming subsystem.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A pre-lubrication system that functions in combination with a vehicle engine, a vehicle engine oil filter having an input port and an output port, and a vehicle battery. said system comprising:

a) said vehicle engine incorporating an oil pan that is modified by providing a first input port, a first output port and an electrical power input that is internally connected to the electrical subsystem of said vehicle,
b) a system starting means that when activated by an input power signal applied from said vehicle battery produces an output power signal,
c) a pre-lube oil pump having a first electrical input, a first input port, and an output port, wherein the first electrical input is connected to the output power signal from said system starting means, and the first input port is connected to the first output port on said vehicle engine,
d) a check valve having an input port connected to the output port on said pre-lube oil pump, and an output port connected to the input port on said vehicle engine oil filter, and
e) a vehicle engine adapter having an input port connected to the output port on said vehicle engine oil filter, and an output port connected to the first input port on said vehicle engine, wherein said system functions by applying the oil from said vehicle engine through said system and recirculating the oil back into the vehicle engine to maintain said vehicle engine in a lubricated condition prior to starting said vehicle engine.

2 more elements

An pre-lubrication system that functions in combination with a vehicle engine, a vehicle engine oil filter having an input port and an output port and a vehicle battery, said system comprising:

a) said vehicle engine incorporating an oil pan that is modified by providing a first input port, a first output port, a second output port, and an electrical power input that is internally connected to the electrical subsystem of said vehicle,
b) a system starting means that when activated by an input power signal applied from said vehicle battery produces an output power signal,
c) a pre-lube oil pump having a first electrical input, a second electrical input, a first input port, and an output port, wherein the first electrical input is connected to the output power signal from said system starting means, and the first input port is connected to the first output port on said vehicle engine,
d) a pre-lube oil filter having an input port and an output port, wherein the inlet port is connected to the output port on said pre-lube oil pump,
e) a check valve having an input port and an output port, wherein the input port is connected to the output port on said pre-lube oil filter,
f) a first T-connector having a first input port, a second input port and an output port, wherein the first input port is connected to the output port on said check valve, and the output port is connected to the input port on said vehicle engine oil filter,
g) a vehicle engine adapter having an input port connected to the output port on said vehicle engine oil filter, and an output port connected to the first input port on said vehicle engine,
h) a second T-connector having a first input port, a first output port and a second output port, wherein the first input port is connected to the second output port on said engine, and the first output port is connected to the second input port on said first T-connector,
i) an oil pressure sensing switch having an input port, and an electrical output, wherein the input port is connected to the second output port on said second T-connector,
j) an electronic control unit having an input and an output, wherein the input is connected to said vehicle battery, and
k) an AND gate having a first input applied from the electrical output of said oil pressure sensing switch, and a second enabling input applied from the output of said electronic control unit, wherein the enabled gate produces an output signal that is applied to the second electrical input on said pre-lube oil pump, wherein said system automatically maintains said vehicle engine in a lubricated condition prior to a starting said engine or if low oil pressure is sensed.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.