Adjustable Oil Filter Wrench

Abstract

An oil filter wrench which has two main parts mounted together so as to be movable towards and away from each other. Each part has an acruate surface aligned with each other. A threaded drive rod has one end in a threaded hole in a side portion of one main part and passes through a clearance hole in a portion of the other main part, with a head engaging the other main part so as to move the parts toward or away from each other to grip or release to the filter. A wrenching feature on the head and of another wrenching feature the bottom of one of the main parts allow a conventional wrenching tool to drive the wrench to rotate the oil filter and to drive the drive element to move the main parts together to grip the filter oil apart to release the same. An extension rod is able to be engaged a wrenching feature on the bottom of said oil filter wrench to loosen or tighten the oil filter on its mounting.

Claims

1. An oil filter wrench comprising: a pair of main parts each having concavely shaped engagement portions, said main parts slidably mounted together with said concave portions aligned and facing each other; an elongated threaded drive element having one end engaged in a threaded hole in one of said main parts, said drive element also passing through an aligned clearance hole in the other of said main parts but engageable with said other main part so as to be able to be advanced or retracted toward or away from each other can be so that said other main part can be advanced to said one main part in order to grip an oil filter disposed between said concave engagement services; and, a wrenching feature on an under surface of said one or the other of said main parts enabling rotation thereof by a conventional wrenching tool having a handle extending axially away from an oil filter gripped by said concave surfaces.

2. The filter according to claim 1 wherein said drive feature on said drive element comprises a wrenching feature in a head of said drive element allowing engagement with a conventional ratchet socket wrench with a handle extending axially down and away from a bottom of said oil filter wrench.

3. The oil filter wrench according to claim 1 wherein a drive feature is formed on an undersurfaces of said oil filter wrench is engageable by an elongated extension rod extending axially away from said oil filter and engageble by a ratchet wrench to enable rotation of said oil filter to loosen or tighten the same.

4. The oil filter wrench according to claim 2 wherein said wrenching feature comprises a square recess in said oil filter wrench undersurface to tight or loosen an oil filter gripped by said oil filter wrench.

5. The oil filter wrench according to claim 3 wherein said drive feature on said drive element comprises a wrenching feature in a head on said drive element allowing engagement with a ratchet socket wrench having a handle extending axially down and away from said oil filter wrench.

6. The oil filter wrench according to claim 5 wherein said wrenching features comprise a square recess in said oil filter wrench undersurface.

7. The oil filter wrench according to claim 1 wherein said main parts are mounted together by a bottom plate projecting from a main part extending under a shorter plate extending from an opposite main part with a guide feature maintaining said bottom plate and said shorter plate in sliding engagement with each other as said main parts are moved relatively towards and away from each other.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0014] FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of an oil filter wrench according to an embodiment of the invention in an opened condition received over a lower end of an oil filter placed therein.

[0015] FIG. 2 is an inverted pictorial view of the oil filter wrench shown in FIG. 1 with an oil filter engaged by the arcuate gripper portions of the wrench.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of the oil filter wrench shown in FIGS. 1-2 with the oil filter omitted.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a view from the top of the oil filter wrench shown in FIGS. 1-3.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a view from one side of the oil filter wrench shown in FIGS. 1-4.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a view from another side of the oil filter wrench shown in FIGS. 1-4.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a top view of the oil filter wrench shown in FIGS. 1-5.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a pictorial view of one of the main parts of the oil filter wrench shown in FIGS. 1-7.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a pictorial view of the other of the main parts of the wrench according to the invention.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a side view of one main part.

[0024] FIG. 11 is a side view of the other main part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, the oil filter wrench 10 according to the present invention is adapted to grip the bottom end of an automotive oil filter 12 which is installed on a vehicle engine, the wrench able to accommodate oil filters of a size over a substantial range of diameters of the oil filter 12.

[0026] Oil filters 12 are conventionally installed by being threaded onto a threaded tube (not shown) which receives circulation oil flow, received in a threaded hole 14 in the top of the oil filter. A gasket 16 engages a sealing surface (not shown), and is designed to be compressed to a proper degree by advancing of the oil filter on the threaded hole.

[0027] This usually requires more force than is able to be exerted by hand.

[0028] The oil filter wrench 10 according to the present invention is designed to tightly grip oil filters over a range of diameters thereof, and are able to be able to rotate the oil filter to achieve the proper tightness of fit when installed on the engine.

[0029] The oil filter wrench 10 is comprised of two main parts, 18A and 18B, which are interfit with each other to allow relative movement of arcuate concave surfaces formed on gripping portions 20A and 20B (FIG. 3) towards and away from each other.

[0030] The arcuate portions 20A, 20B each have a concave surface 22A, 22B facing each other so as to engage the exterior of an oil filter 12 when advanced towards each other.

[0031] The concave surfaces 22A, 22B do not necessarily have to be exactly matched to the lower exterior diameter 24 of the oil filter 20, which typically have a series of flats 26 creating peaks 27 to be engaged by the wrench surfaces 22A, 22B.

[0032] The relative adjusting movement between the two parts 18A and 18B is carried out by rotation of a threaded rod 28 having a threaded end received in a threaded hole 30 in main part 18B. The threaded rod 28 opposite end is passed through a clearance hole 32 in the main part 18A.

[0033] The opposite end of the rod 28 has a head 34 formed with a wrenching feature such as the square drive recess 36 as shown.

[0034] A flange 42 on the other end of the threaded rod 28 prevents complete disassembly of the wrench 10 to prevent the rod 28 from being separated and possibly last.

[0035] The movement of the two main parts 18A, 18B is guided so as to maintain alignment with each other by a base plate 42 formed on the main part 18B which has a guide slot 44 defined by a raised feature 46 projecting above the base plate 42.

[0036] The main part 18A has a slide plate 48 which slides on the upper surface of the plate 42 and through the slot 44 so as to maintain both main parts in proper alignment with each other.

[0037] In use, a ratchet wrench handle 50 can extend generally vertically to engage the drive feature 36 and move radially to the minimum extent necessary to rotate the threaded rod 28 and causing the concave surfaces 22A, 22B to be moved into firm gripping engagement with the sides of the oil filter 12.

[0038] A vertically extending extension rod 52 can be inserted into a second wrenching feature 54 such as a square drive opening 54 (FIG. 7) formed into the bottom of the base plate 42, the extensions 52 easily driven by a ratchet wrench to tighten or loosen the oil filter 12.

[0039] Thus tight engagement of the oil filter wrench 10 with the oil filter 12 is easily achieved with the oil filter 12 still in place on the engine.

[0040] Installation and removal of an oil filter 12 is facilitated by not requiring a lot of clearance space to tighten the wrench for removal of an old oil filter or installation of a new one.