Integrated manifold assembly
AssigneeNorco Industries, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey P. Few, Michael Schwindaman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A manifold assembly for use in conjunction with a servicing apparatus for exchanging fluid between a serviceable automobile component and new and used fluid tanks and including a rigid manifold body with a fluid circuit defining a plurality of pathways connecting a plurality of ports whereby fluid is directed through the fluid circuit and ports by selectively operating first and second valves and circulated using a common pump to exchange fluid, recirculate fluid, and drain both the used and new fluid tanks as desired.
Claims22
An apparatus for servicing an automobile fluid containing subsystem having a fluid reservoir with a subsystem pump and a subsystem inlet and a subsystem outlet, said apparatus comprising:
- a manifold defining an exhaust port for coupling to said subsystem inlet, a return port for coupling to said subsystem outlet, a fresh fluid port, and a used fluid port;
- a fluid transfer circuit at least partially formed within said manifold between said ports;
- a drain/bypass valve having a fluid receiving inlet in communication with said return port and a multi-directional outlet, said drain/bypass valve being selectively operable to place said return port in fluid communication with either said exhaust port or said used fluid port;
- a fresh fluid source coupled to said fresh fluid port;
- a common pump coupled to said manifold and interposed between said new and used fluid ports and said exhaust port for pumping a fluid from either of said fluid ports to said exhaust port;
- a dump/supply valve having a single fluid expelling outlet in communication with said common pump and a multi-directional inlet, said dump/supply valve being selectively operable to place either of said used or new fluid ports in fluid communication with said exhaust port;
- and
- whereby, said exhaust port may be coupled to said subsystem inlet and said return port may be coupled to said subsystem outlet, then said subsystem pump activated and said common pump selectively operated to direct at least one fluid through said fluid transfer circuit between ports as determined by the selective operation of at least one of said valves.
A manifold assembly for use in conjunction with a fluid exchanger including a used fluid receptacle and a new fluid tank, said manifold assembly comprising:
- a rigid block body housing at least a portion of a fluid circuit including a drain path between a return port and a used fluid port for directing fluid entering said return port to said used fluid port, a bypass path between said return port and an exhaust port for directing fluid entering said return port to said exhaust port, a supply path between a fresh fluid supply port and said exhaust port for directing fluid entering said fresh fluid supply port to said exhaust port, and a dump path between said used fluid port and said exhaust port for directing fluid entering said used fluid port to said exhaust port, said ports being accessible on an outer surface of said body and said supply and dump paths include a common passage including said exhaust port, said used fluid port being adaptable to connect to said used fluid receptacle and said supply port being adaptable to connect to said new fluid tank;
- a valving component selectively operable to divert fluid entering said return port between said used fluid port through said drain path and said exhaust port through said bypass path and to direct fluid from either said supply port through said supply path or said drain port through said dump path and into said common passage to said exhaust port;
- and
- a pump disposed inline with said common passage between said valving component and said exhaust port and operable to direct a fluid through said supply and drain paths and out of said exhaust port through said common passage.
A manifold assembly for use in conjunction with a servicing apparatus including a used fluid receptacle, a fresh fluid source, a pump, an inlet servicing hose, and an outlet servicing hose, said assembly comprising:
- a fluid circuit defining means including a rigid block manifold having a return port for coupling to said inlet servicing hose, an exhaust port for coupling to said outlet servicing hose, a fresh fluid port for coupling to said fresh fluid source, a used fluid port for coupling to said used fluid receptacle, and a fluid transfer circuit at least partially formed within said manifold between said ports;
- a first flow diverting means for selectively diverting fluid entering said return port to either said exhaust port or said used fluid port;
- a second flow diverting means for selectively diverting fluid from said used fluid port or said fresh fluid port to said exhaust port;
- and
- a pumping means interposed between said fluid ports and said exhaust port for pumping a fluid from either of said fluid ports to said exhaust port.
A manifold assembly for use in conjunction with a fluid servicing apparatus having used and new fluid tanks and a pair of service hoses comprising:
- a rigid manifold body defining first and second pathways operable to conduct fluid transfer therethrough and further defining a first filter receiving aperture, a second filter receiving aperture, and at least one valve receiving aperture;
- a return port on said manifold body adapted to be coupled to an end of one of said service hoses;
- an exhaust port on said manifold body adapted to be coupled to an end of an other of said service hoses;
- a used fluid port on said manifold body in communication with said return port via said first pathway and adapted to be coupled to said used fluid tank;
- a new fluid port on said manifold body in communication with said exhaust port via said second pathway and adapted to be coupled to said new fluid tank;
- a first filter coupled to said manifold in said first filter receiving aperture and operable to filter fluid passing through said first pathway;
- a second filter coupled to said manifold in said second filter receiving aperture and operable to filter fluid passing through said second pathway;
- and
- a valve coupled to said manifold in said valve receiving aperture and selectively operable to divert fluid between said pathways.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.