Oil Drain Plug System and Method

Abstract

An oil drain plug assembly includes a threaded drive nut rotatable to open and close a valve assembly controlling the flow of oil from an oil reservoir, the valve assembly including a valve body with a threaded hollow valve rod extending therethrough, wherein the distal end of the valve assembly is in fluid communication with the oil reservoir, the threads of the hollow valve rod are positioned on the outer surface of the hollow valve rod away from its distal end, and the threaded drive nut is threaded onto the threads of the hollow valve rod.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . An oil drain plug assembly including:
 a threaded drive nut rotatable to open and close a valve assembly controlling the flow of oil through the oil drain plug assembly, the valve assembly including a valve body with a threaded valve rod extending therethrough,   the threaded valve rod including:
 threads positioned on the outer surface of the threaded valve rod away from the threaded valve rod distal end, 
 an inner lumen extending between the threaded valve rod proximal end to the threaded valve rod distal end, with the threaded valve rod inner lumen open at the threaded valve rod proximal end and closed at the threaded valve rod distal end; and 
 at least one hole extending from the outer surface of the threaded valve rod to the threaded valve rod lumen proximate the threaded valve rod distal end; 
   wherein the threaded drive nut is threaded onto the threads of the threaded valve rod;   wherein rotation of the drive nut in a first direction causes the threaded valve rod to move distally within the valve body,   wherein rotation of the drive nut in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the threaded valve rod to move proximally within the valve body.   
     
     
         5 . The oil drain plug assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the threaded drive nut includes a lumen therethrough that is in fluid communication with the threaded valve rod lumen. 
     
     
         6 . The oil drain plug assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the threaded drive nut proximal end includes threads on an outer surface of the threaded drive nut. 
     
     
         7 . The oil drain plug assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the proximal end of the lumen through the threaded drive nut includes threads on the lumen surface. 
     
     
         8 . The oil drain plug assembly of  claim 6  including a cap removably engaged with the threads on the outer surface of the threaded drive nut to close the lumen through the threaded drive nut. 
     
     
         9 . The oil drain plug assembly of  claim 7  including a plug removably engaged with the threads on the lumen surface of the threaded drive nut to close the lumen through the threaded drive nut. 
     
     
         10 . The oil drain plug assembly of  claim 4  including a magnet at the distal end of the threaded valve rod.