Impinging oil filter

Abstract

An oil filter for an engine is in the form of a reservoir mounted in an oil pan having a closed interior volume and an open top edge spaced from an adjoining oil pan sidewall and positioned to receive oil with entrained debris as the oil flows by gravity after being centrifugally flung radially outward from the moving engine components. The debris separates from the oil in the reservoir, with clean oil overflowing the top edge of the wall for recirculation in the engine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oil pan for an engine with a rotating member centrifugally moving oil radially outward toward an engine case wall, the oil pan comprising:
 a reservoir carried in the oil pan for collecting oil and entrained debris as the oil flows into the oil pan;   the reservoir defined by a wall with a top edge, the wall fixed to an interior of an oil pan with opposed sides and bottom portions of the wall sealed to the oil pan; and   the top edge of the wall spaced from an adjacent oil pan sidewall to collect the oil and entrained debris as the oil flows from the case wall into the reservoir whereby the debris collects in the reservoir separate from the oil.   
     
     
         2 . The oil pan of  claim 1  wherein the wall of the reservoir comprises:
 a main wall portion having opposed side flanges and a bottom flange; 
 the opposed side flanges and the bottom flange fixedly secured to the oil pan and spacing a top edge of the wall from an adjacent portion of the oil pan sidewall. 
 
     
     
         3 . The oil pan of  claim 1  wherein the wall of the reservoir comprises:
 a main wall portion having an offset bottom flange; 
 the bottom flange fixedly and sealingly secured to the oil pan; 
 opposed side portions of the main wall seemingly deposed relative to the oil pan; 
 a top edge of the main wall spaced from an adjoining oil pan sidewall to define an opening into an interior volume defining the debris collection reservoir. 
 
     
     
         4 . The oil pan of  claim 1  wherein;
 the oil pan includes a bottom wall and sidewalls, the wall fixed to the sidewalls. 
 
     
     
         5 . The oil pan of  claim 4  wherein:
 the bottom of the wall is spaced above the bottom wall of the oil pan. 
 
     
     
         6 . The oil pan of  claim 4  wherein:
 a main portion of the wall is parallel to a portion of the oil pan sidewall. 
 
     
     
         7 . The oil pan of  claim 2  wherein:
 the wall side flange spaces the top edge of the wall from the sidewall of the oil pan. 
 
     
     
         8 . The oil pan of  claim 4  wherein:
 the wall is disposed at a non-parallel angle from the oil pan sidewall; and 
 the bottom flange of the wall is fixed to the bottom wall of the oil pan. 
 
     
     
         9 . The oil pan of  claim 1  wherein:
 the reservoir defines an interior volume for collecting oil from the engine case wall. 
 
     
     
         10 . A method for forming an oil filter in an oil pan of an engine with rotating components for removing debris from circulating through the engine oil, the method comprising:
 centrifugally moving oil droplets by the moving components of the engine radially outward from the moving components;   accumulating the oil droplets on a case wall of engine;   allowing flow from the oil droplets along the case wall toward the oil pan by inertia and gravity;   forming a reservoir with an open top end spaced from a sidewall to an engine oil pan below the case wall to collect oil and debris flowing downward from the case wall;   separating debris from the oil in the reservoir and collecting the debris in the bottom of the reservoir to clean the oil of the debris.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 forming a reservoir of a plate fixed to the side wall of an engine oil pan. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 forming the reservoir of a wall having a top edge spaced from the side wall the oil pan and an opposed side flanges joined to the side wall of the oil pan; and the bottom flange of the wall fixed to the bottom wall of the oil pan.