Granted Patent B2

US 7,444,729 · App. 11/738,631 · Granted Nov 4, 2008

Abstract

Claims (16)

1. A method of selecting a transmission oil pan for use on a vehicle having a transmission case, the method comprising:

maintaining an inventory of oil pans matable with the transmission case to at least partially define a transmission interior space, the inventory including a first oil pan and a second oil pan, wherein each of the first and second oil pans includes a plurality of sidewalls, and wherein each of the first and second oil pans includes a floor extending between said plurality of sidewalls;

wherein an accessing component for accessing an interior component located inside of the transmission interior space from outside of the transmission interior space is mounted to each of the oil pans;

wherein a first accessing component is mounted on the first oil pan at a first location;

wherein a second accessing component is mounted on the second oil pan at a second location different than the first location; and

wherein each of the first location and the second location are selected from the group consisting of the floor and each of the sidewalls; and

selecting one of the first oil pan and the second oil pan based upon the first location and the second location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the accessing components is an electrical connector for transmitting electrical signals between at least one electrical component located outside of the transmission interior space and at least one other electrical component located inside of the transmission interior space.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the accessing components is an oil level assembly, the oil level assembly including an oil level measuring device and fill tube receiving structure, wherein the fill tube receiving structure is connectable to an oil fill tube located on the vehicle and wherein the oil level measuring device is translatable within the fill tube receiving structure for measuring oil level within the transmission interior space.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the vehicle is front wheel-drive or rear wheel-drive, wherein said selecting step is further based upon said determining step.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the vehicle may be selectively changed between two wheel-drive and four wheel-drive, wherein said selecting step is further based upon said determining step.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle has a steering column, and further comprising determining the position of the steering column on the vehicle, wherein said selecting step is further based upon said determining step.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle has a plurality of drivetrain shafts, and further comprising determining the relative positions of the drivetrain shafts on the vehicle, wherein said selecting step is further based upon said determining step.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle has an exhaust system, wherein the exhaust system includes an exhaust system component, and further comprising determining the position of the exhaust system component on the vehicle, wherein said selecting step is further based upon said determining step.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle has an engine compartment, wherein a vehicle component is located in the engine compartment, and further comprising determining the position of the vehicle component in the engine compartment, wherein said selecting step is further based upon said determining step.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second oil pans has an extension, wherein the extension comprises a secondary housing member configured to increase the volume of the oil pan, and wherein each of the first location and the second location are selected from the group consisting of the floor, each of the sidewalls and the extension.

Assignments (12)