The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 01, 2003
Filed:
May. 29, 2002
Robert R. Cunningham, Clawson, MI (US);
Bayer Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
An oil pan which includes a shell of plastic material (e.g., of thermoplastic polyamide), and a support structure (e.g., of metal), having a plurality of perforations, that is fixedly attached to the exterior surfaces and/or the interior surfaces of the plastic shell, is described. More particularly, the oil pan ( ) comprises: (a) a shell ( ) of plastic material having interior and exterior surfaces, the interior surfaces of the shell defining a hollow interior ( ); and (b) a support structure ( ) in abutting relationship with and being fixedly attached to at least one of, (i) at least a portion of the exterior surfaces of the shell ( ), and (ii) at least a portion of the interior surfaces of the shell ( ), the support structure ( ) has a plurality of perforations ( ) having edges. The plastic shell ( ) is formed by molding of plastic material onto the support structure ( ), a portion of the plastic material of the shell ( ) extends through at least some of the perforations ( ) of the support structure ( ), the edges of the perforations ( ) being embedded in the plastic material extending there through, thereby attaching fixedly the support structure ( ) to the plastic shell ( ). The oil pan of the present invention may be used as the oil pan or reservoir of a mechanical apparatus (e.g., an internal combustion and/or electric engine) in which oil is collected and from which the oil is redistributed, preferably continuously, during operation of the apparatus.