# US 9,752,915 B2 · Snapfit dipstick assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,752,915 B2 - Document ID: US9752915B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/581,599 - Filed: 2014-12-23 - Published: 2016-06-23 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-23 - Assignees: Kohler Co. - Applicants: Kohler Co. - Inventors: Tyler Martin; Timothy Harreld; Alexander Weldum - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752915B2 ## CPC - G01F 23/04: by dip members, e.g. dip-sticks - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME ## Abstract A dipstick assembly for an oil tank may include a tube with a receiving end and an outwardly projecting lip disposed near the receiving end. The assembly may also include a dipstick having a lower portion configured to be inserted into the tube, and an upper portion including a flexible arm. The flexible arm may be configured to releasably engage the outwardly projecting lip when the lower portion is inserted into the tube. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dipstick assembly for an oil tank comprising: a tube including: a receiving end, and an outwardly projecting lip disposed near the receiving end; and a dipstick including: a lower portion configured to be inserted into the tube, an upper portion including a flexible arm; wherein the flexible arm is configured to releasably engage the outwardly projecting lip when the lower portion is inserted into the tube; and an o-ring positioned around the lower portion of the dipstick, the o-ring configured to engage an interior surface of the tube when the lower portion is inserted into the tube. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dipstick assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible arm includes a tab configured to impede the outwardly projecting lip from moving past the tab without an outside force being applied to either the projecting lip or the tab for releasably securing the dipstick in the tube. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The dipstick assembly of claim 2, wherein the tab includes a wedge-shaped protrusion; and wherein the flexible arm flexes outwardly when the wedge-shaped tab slides over the outwardly projecting lip and returns to a non-deformed position adjacent an exterior surface of the tube once the lower portion is fully inserted into the tube. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The dipstick assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the dipstick includes a plurality of flexible arms. ### Claim 5 A dipstick assembly for an engine comprising: a tube including an open end with an outwardly extending lip around the tube near the open end; a dipstick including: a shaft configured to be removably inserted into the tube in a direction, and a handle above and extending from the shaft including an arm with an outer surface generally parallel to the shaft; wherein the arm includes a tab configured to engage the outwardly extending lip when the shaft is inserted into the tube, wherein the handle includes an o-ring configured to create a seal by engaging the interior surface of the open end of the tube spaced from the arm in the direction that the shaft is inserted in the tube when the shaft is inserted into the tube. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The dipstick assembly of claim 5, wherein the tab of the arm is generally wedge-shaped. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The dipstick assembly of claim 5, wherein the handle includes a plurality of arms. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The dipstick assembly of claim 7, wherein the arms are arranged substantially evenly around the handle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The dipstick assembly of claim 5, wherein the arm flexes away from the shaft when the tab slides over the outwardly extending lip. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The dipstick assembly of claim 5, wherein the outwardly extending lip flexes toward the shaft when the tab slides over the outwardly extending lip. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The dipstick assembly of claim 5, wherein the tube flexes toward the shaft when the tab slides over the outwardly extending lip. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The dipstick assembly of claim 5, further comprising a seal positioned around the shaft of the dipstick. ### Claim 13 A dipstick comprising: a shaft having a first end configured to be inserted into an oil reservoir tube; a handle including an aperture as a grasping component, the handle disposed on a second end opposite the first end of the shaft; a plurality of arms extending from the handle, the arms configured to snap around an exterior lip of the tube when the shaft is inserted into the oil reservoir tube in a direction; and an o-ring spaced apart from the plurality of arms in the direction that the shaft is inserted into the oil reservoir tube and configured to engage an interior surface of the tube when the shaft is inserted into the oil reservoir tube. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The dipstick of claim 13, where the handle further comprises a rounded bottom surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The dipstick of claim 14, where the arms are substantially evenly positioned around a circumference of the rounded bottom surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The dipstick of claim 14, where each of the arms comprise: an arm bridge position extending from the rounded bottom surface; a tip end positioned away from the rounded bottom surface; and a central portion connecting the arm bridge and the tip end, the central portion including an inner surface generally facing the shaft of the dipstick, and a tab extending from the inner surface toward the shaft. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The dipstick of claim 16, where the protrusion comprises: an upper tab surface facing the rounded bottom surface, where the upper tab surface, the arm bridge, and the rounded bottom surface form a lip-receiving cavity configured to receive the lip and lock around the exterior of the tube when the shaft is inserted into the tube; and a lower tab surface adjacent the upper tab surface and facing away from the rounded bottom surface, the lower tab surface configured to slide along the lip when the shaft is inserted into the tube until the lip-receiving cavity locks the dipstick into place. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The dipstick of claim 16, where the arm bridge includes an interior surface positioned generally parallel to, and facing, the shaft; and where the upper tab surface forms a first angle with the interior surface between 90 and 180 degrees.