This invention relates to apparatus capable of removing solid, liquid and dissolved gaseous contaminants from lubricating oil in the oil recirculation system of an internal combustion engine or the like. More particularly, this invention has to do with a device adapted to utilize both mechanical filtering media and heat in order to separate the various kinds of contaminants from the lubricating oil. It is well known that contaminated lubricating oil in internal combustion engines is a principal cause of the deterioration of such engines. Almost all internal combustion engines employ some form of filtering device for the oil, but generally these devices are of the conventional mechanical sort, adapted primarily for removing materials such as dirt, carbon, metal particles and other similar foreign matter. However, liquid contaminants such as condensates, water, and fuel are often emulsified or dissolved in the lubricating oil, and are not affected or removed by a conventional mechanical filter. As a consequence, the lubricating oil of a typical internal combustion engine using conventional filters must be changed at regular intervals to minimize engine damage. This necessity for regularly changing the oil in an internal combustion engine results in a considerable wastage of oil, and it is an aspect of this invention to provide an oil reclaiming device capable of filtering and reclaiming oil on a continuous basis without requiring the oil to be changed.

In the past, efforts have been made to develop devices which use heat as - mechanism for separating oil and certain contaminants that can be vaporized by the use of heat. One such prior art device is disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,006,084, issued February 1, 1977, to Glen R.

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Priest. This patent represents a forward step in the technology, in that, in addition to a lower filtering chamber in which conventional mechanical filter media are provided, the device also includes means for applying heat to the oil, after the oil has passed through the filter media. More specifically, the device disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,006,084 includes a preheating chamber directly above the filter chamber and a vaporization chamber above the preheating chamber. The preheating and vaporization chambers are separated by a vaporization plate made of heat-conducting metal and configured in such a way that oil passing upwardly from the preheating chamber through apertures in the vaporization plate can flow by gravity through the vaporization chamber along steps or tiers in the vaporization plate. An electrically energized heating means is provided in a cover for the basic housing of the device, but neither the heating means nor the cover is in direct contact with the vaporization plate. Because of this construction, the device in U.S. Patent 4,006,084 fails to gain full advantage from the heat provided by the heating means buried in the cover.

It is therefore an aspect of this invention to provide an improved construction in which heat from the heating means in the cover of a device similar to that shown in U.S. Patent 4,006,084 has more direct access to the vaporization plate, thereby permitting the latter to be heated more effectively. Moreover, the improvement provided herein is such that "hot spots" are placed directly in the vaporization chamber and in such locations that the oil must flow against and around these locations, thereby inducing turbulence in the oil in order to promote the separation of the volatizing fractions mixed with, emulsified or dissolved in the oil, and also providing localized areas of higher temperature which likewise promote the evaporation of

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the various liquid contaminants in the oil which can be removed by the application of heat.

This invention further provides for strengthening of the housing walls, in such a way that provision is made for a more secure grip of the device by a typical clamping means.

Additionally, the venting means which allows volatized components to leave the vaporization chamber is positioned more advantageously, and in such a way that there is reduced chance of oil spilling out through the venting means.

Finally, the configuration of the device toward the bottom is improved in order to avoid "dead spots" in which oil simply remains stationary and stagnates. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THIS INVENTION

Accordingly, this invention provides an oil reconditioning device capable of removing liquid and solid contaminant from lubricating oil. The device includes a housing with a lower inlet for oil, and a filter chamber in the lower portion of the housing which contains a filter medium for removing contaminants from the oil. A preheating chamber in the housing is located above the filter chamber, and a vaporization plate is positioned above the preheating chamber and below a vaporization chamber at the top of a housing. The vaporization plate has aperture means which interconnect the preheating and vaporization chambers, and a cover is provided to cap the housing. The cover is spaced above the vaporization plate and defines the upper limit of the vaporization chamber. The cover includes vent means for allowing vaporized materials to leave the vaporization chamber. Heating means are provided in the cover for heating the same, and an outlet for oil is provided through the housing in communication with the vaporization chamber. A heat-conductive, metal mesh material is located in the

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vaporization chamber in contact with both the cover and the vaporization plate, so that the mesh material can conduct heat from the cover to the vaporization plate, and also can bring about a degree of turbulence in the oil flowing through the vaporization chamber through the aperture means.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the drawing, the single figure is a vertical sectional view through an oil reconditioning device constructed in accordance with this invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Shown in the drawing is an oil reconditioning device 10 which is adapted to remove liquid and solid contaminants from lubricating oil. The device 10 includes a housing 12 which is substantially cylindrical in configuration about a vertical axis 13, and which has a lower inlet 15 for the oil. In the embodiment shown, the inlet 15 includes a restricted orifice member 17. The orifice member 17 is located at the top of an insert member 19 which is internally threaded at two different diameters, to receive the standard connection in the oil line from the oil pump typically associated with an internal combustion engine.

As can be seen, the housing 12 has a flat bottom wall 20, and has a broadly rounded lower corner portion 22. By providing the broadly rounded lower corner portion 22, the occurrence of "dead spots" at the lower extreme corners of the housing is avoided. Oil would tend to stagnate in these dead spots, and such would be created if the lower wall 20 and the side cylindrical walls of the housing 12 extended substantially to a sharp or only slightly rounded corner.

Located in the lower portion of the housing 12 is a filter chamber 24, which contains a filter medium 26 for removing contaminants from the oil flowing into the housing through the inlet 15. Typically, the filter

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medium could be cotton enclosed in a porous sock or envelope and placed as a unit within the housing 12. Above the filter medium 26 is a secondary filter 28, which in the embodiment illustrated is a felt pad of a thickness of approximately 3/8 inch. The felt pad constituting the secondary filter 28 tends to remove the smaller contaminants from the oil that may not have been removed by the filter medium 26 in the chamber 24.

Above the filter chamber 24 is located a preheating chamber 28 which is defined between a vaporization plate 30 which provides the upper limit of the preheating chamber 28, and a perforated plate 32 which defines the lower limit thereof. In effect, the perforated plate 32 holds the secondary filter 28 in place against the expanding tendency of the filter medium 26 in the chamber 24. The filter me vum 26 is preferably compressed into the chambt 24, and therefore presses upwardly against the secondary filter 28, forcing it against the perforated plate 32. As can be seen in the drawing, the perforated plate 32 lodges in an annular recess 34 at the bottom of the vaporization plate 30. The latter includes a central boss 36 having a central axial bore 37 through which a bolt 38 passes. The head 39 of the bolt 38 is lodged in a recess 41 of the perforated plate 32 and passes through a suitably sized opening therein, thereby holding the perforated plate 32 upwardly against and in place with respect to the vaporization plate 30.

The vaporization plate 30 further has a series of stepped tiers which include an upper tier 43, an intermediate tier 44 and a lower tier 45. The vaporization plate 30 also includes a lower rim 47 which is adapted to lodge under three inward protuberances 49 (only one shown in the drawing) which are spaced at 120° from each other around the inner circumference of the cylindrical housing 12. The rim 47 is provided with

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recesses also at spacings of 120°, which allows the vaporization plate 30 to be fitted down past the protuberances 49, and then turned to lock it into place, in the manner of a bayonet joint. Above the vaporization plate 30 is a vaporization chamber 51, of which the upper limit is defined by a cover 53 which includes an outer flange 55 having on its underside an annular sealing member 57 adapted to be sealed against the rounded upper lip 59 of the housing 12. The cover 53 also has a central aperture through which the bolt 38 passes, so that a wing nut 61 can be screwed onto the threaded end thereof, thereby pressing the cover 53 downwardly against the upper rim 59 of the housing 12. The cover 53 further includes a downwardly projecting annular portion 64 which is positioned in the vicinity of the tiers 43-45, but out of contact therewith. Located within the annular projecting portion 64 is an annular gallery 67 which contains an electrical heating element 68, typically a Calrod (trade mark) element. As can be seen in the drawing, a terminal 70 is provided for the heating element 68.

The cover 53 further includes a vertically upstanding vent pipe 73 with a cover 74, the purpose of which is to allow vapors generated in the vaporization and preheating chambers to escape from the device shown in the drawing.

The housing 12 has an integral outlet 77 at the side, in communication with the vaporization chamber 51. In accordance with this invention, there is provided, in the vaporization chamber 51 a heat-conductive, metal mesh material, in sufficient quantity to be in contact with both the cover 53 and the vaporization plate 30, whereby heat can be conducted more readily from the cover 53 to the vaporization plate 30. The presence of the mesh material, shown by the

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numeral 79, in the vaporization chamber 51 also will cause a certain degree of turbulence in the oil fl- .ng into and through the vaporization chamber 51 from ue preheating chamber 28. To permit oil to flow from the preheating chamber 28 to the vaporization chamber 51, a plurality of small-diameter capillaries 81 are provided.

In a preferred embodiment, the mesh material extends substantially throughout the vaporization chamber 51, as can be seen in the drawing, and is selected from the group comprising: copper mesh, brass mesh, stainless steel mesh.

As a further improvement in the device herein disclosed, there are provided two circumferential ribs 83 which are spaced apart in the axial direction to provide additional strength to the housing, and also to provide protrusions allowing a secure grip of the housing by a clamp. Thus, by placing a hoop-type clamp around the housing 12 between the ribs 83, one can ensure that the housing will not slip downwardly through the clamp du ^a . to the vibration arising from the vehicle or from the engine.

While one embodiment of this invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described hereinabove, those skilled in the art will appreciate that C-.anges and modifications can be made therein without departing from the essence of this invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

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