Drain device for oil pans

Claim 1

An improved device for draining fluid such as oil from the drain outlet of a fluid reservoir such as an oil pan for an engine of an automobile or similar vehicle, comprising: a main valve body including a tubular body, said tubular body having a vertical tube section, a horizontal tube section, and a juncture therebetween, said vertical tubular section having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end including means for connecting to said drain outlet and the lower end being joined to the horizontal tube section by the juncture, so that the vertical tube section and the horizontal tube section define a fluid flow drain path; said main valve body further including a valve seat formed within the horizontal tube section, said valve seat having a truncated conical surface with a narrow end adjacent said juncture and a wide end away from said juncture; an outlet port formed in the horizontal tube section and projecting downwardly to define a tap, said outlet port having a smoothly tapered cross section, a lower port end and an upper port end, said lower port end having a larger diameter than said upper port end, said outlet port being offset horizontally from the juncture; a valve member slidably mounted in the horizontal tube section, said valve member including an annular thin wall portion, a truncated cone portion and pointed cone-shaped portion, said truncated cone portion being interposed between said annular thin wall portion and said pointed cone-shaped portion, said truncated cone portion defining an annular groove for accommodating an O-ring, said valve member being slidable from a sealed position wherein said pointed cone-shaped portion projects through said valve seat toward said juncture and wherein said truncated cone portion fits against said valve seat and wherein said thin wall portion fits over said tap, to an open position wherein said fluid flow drain path is open to said tap; a biasing spring projecting into said thin wall portion for exerting a biasing force to bias the valve member to the sealed position; and moving means for moving the valve member against the biasing force from the sealed position wherein the valve prevents fluid flow, to the open position wherein fluid can flow into the horizontal tubular section, past the valve seat and out the outlet port, said moving means including a flexible cable and a knob, said flexible cable having a first end and a second end, said first end being attached to the valve member and said second end being attached to the knob, said knob being disposed at a position remote from the valve member and near to the driver of the vehicle, said moving means also including means for retaining the valve member in the open position.