Oil filter gripping tool

Abstract

An engine oil filter gripping tool is disclosed. The device is comprised of a cylindrical cap body and an interchangeable drive hub having a ratchet aperture. An object of the invention is to provide a device that will allow a user to remove conventional spin-on and cartridge oil filters using multiple-sized ratchet drivers. The interchangeable drive hub comes in various aperture ratchet sizes such as -inch and -inch drive. The user installs the interchangeable drive hub depending on the size ratchet they wish to use.

Claims

1. A device for gripping oil filters comprising: a cylindrical cap body having an aperture disposed at a base thereof; an interchangeable drive hub selected from a plurality of interchangeable drive hubs, each interchangeable drive hub including, in a first end, a drive hole configured to receive a drive square of a driving tool, the interchangeable drive hub configured to apply rotational force to the cylindrical cap body; and a compliant retaining ring disposed, when in an engaged state, about a peripheral extent of the interchangeable drive hub proximate a second end of the interchangeable drive hub, the retaining ring having an outer perimeter sized greater than a perimeter of the aperture of the cylindrical cap body and an inner perimeter sized smaller than the perimeter of the aperture, the retaining ring constituting a securing feature to releasably hold the interchangeable drive hub in the aperture.

2. The device for gripping oil filters of claim 1, wherein the aperture of the cylindrical cap body includes a circular aperture portion.

3. The device for gripping oil filters of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical cap body includes a retaining ring protection lip disposed around the aperture and protruding into the cylindrical cap body from the base of the cylindrical cap body around.

4. The device for gripping oil filters of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical cap body includes fluted formations at least at an interior perimeter of the cylindrical cap body, the fluted formations providing a plurality of surface faces configured to engage corresponding surface faces of an oil filter.

5. The device for gripping oil filters of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable drive hub includes a positioning flange disposed between the first end and the second end; and the cylindrical cap body includes a circular shaped depression disposed at a rear portion of the cylindrical cap body, the circular shaped depression sized and formed to receive and position the positioning flange.

6. The device for gripping oil filters of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable drive hub includes a mating drive connection, and the aperture of the cylindrical cap body includes a drive aperture configured to receive the mating drive connection.

7. The device for gripping oil filters of claim 6, wherein the drive connection and the drive aperture are each square-shaped.

8. The device for gripping oil filters of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interchangeable drive hubs includes at least one interchangeable drive hub for which the drive hole is of a different size than the drive hole of another interchangeable drive hub of the plurality of interchangeable drive hubs for receiving a differently-sized drive square of a respective driving tool.

9. The device for gripping oil filters of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable drive hub includes a cylindrical protrusion, the cylindrical protrusion having a grooved recess about an exterior of the cylindrical protrusion, the grooved recess sized to receive the retaining ring.

10. The device for gripping oil filters of claim 1, wherein the drive hole of each interchangeable drive hub includes at least one detent configured to receive a detent ball of the drive square.

11. A method for turning an oil filter with a device for gripping oil filters according to claim 1, the method comprising: providing the device for gripping oil filters of claim 1; selecting as the drive tool a ratchet having a drive square of a first dimension; selecting from the plurality of interchangeable drive hubs an interchangeable drive hub of which the drive hole is sized to correspond with the first dimension; inserting the interchangeable drive hub into the aperture of the cylindrical cap body; and affixing the interchangeable drive hub to the cylindrical cap body with the retaining ring; inserting the cylindrical cap body onto an oil filter; locking retaining ring into interchangeable drive hub; and installing the drive square of the ratchet into the drive hole of the selected interchangeable drive hub.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive, examples of embodiments and/or features.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the device;

(3) FIG. 2 shows rear view of the cylindrical cap body;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a front view of the cylindrical cap body and interchangeable drive hub; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a representative view of the device's method.

(6) Other aspects of the present invention shall be more readily understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description, neither of which should be considered limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(7) In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only; they are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation. Conventional components of the invention are elements that are well-known in the prior art and will not be discussed in detail for this disclosure.

(8) FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the device comprised of cylindrical cap body 2 and interchangeable drive hub 3 being operated on a conventional oil filter 1 (not part of the disclosure) using conventional ratchet 4 (also not part of the disclosure). FIG. 2 showing one side of cylindrical cap body 2 having circular aperture 11 with retaining ring protection lip 10 configured proximally. An edge of cylindrical cap body 2 having a raised portion with fluted formations to grip a standard oil filter herein referred to as filter flutes 8.

(9) FIG. 3 showing another side said cylindrical cap body 2 having a circular shaped depression 6 with a square-shaped drive aperture 7 disposed proximally to engage interchangeable drive hub 3. Interchangeable drive hub 3 has a mating square connection 15 also having a cylindrical protrusion 16 with a grooved recess 17 to receive retaining ring 12 therein. Said interchangeable drive hub 3 also having a proximal positioning flange 13 that positions it on cylindrical cap body 2. Another end of interchangeable drive hub 3 having two embodiments of different sized, square-shaped apertures (herein referred to as ratchet drive hole 5) configured to receive either a -inch or -inch ratchet drive as well as detents on the inner walls to engage a spring-loaded ball detent on a ratchet drive. The drive hub 3 and cap body 2 are made of a rigid material including but not limited to: aluminum, steel, titanium and the like and being manufactured by means of a plurality of processes including but not limited to: casting, 3D sinter printing, die stamp forging, machining, and the like.

(10) FIG. 4 showing a representative view of the device's method comprised of but not limited to the following steps: selecting either a -inch or -inch ratchet; the user inserting the proper sized interchangeable drive hub embodiment into the cylindrical cap body; locking the cylindrical cap body to the interchangeable drive hub with retaining ring, inserting the cylindrical cap body onto an oil filter; installing the ratchet into the interchangeable drive hub; turning the ratchet and removing said filter from cylindrical cap body.

(11) It is additionally noted and anticipated that although the device is shown in its most simple form, various components and aspects of the device may be differently shaped or slightly modified when forming the invention herein. As such those skilled in the art will appreciate the descriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure or merely meant to portray examples of preferred modes within the overall scope and intent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in any manner. While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.