JP2023116865A - Breather structure - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a breather structure which can inhibit leakage of liquid, such as an oil, getting out from a breather to the outside of the breather.SOLUTION: A breather structure 1 is used to reduce a differential pressure between an interior and an exterior of a compartment 5 whose interior and exterior are partitioned by a partition wall 6 and includes: a breather chamber 10 formed on an outer surface of the partition wall 6; a breather hole 15 which is open on an outer wall 11 at the outer surface side of the breather chamber 10 and allows the breather chamber 10 and the outside to communicate with each other; and a ventilation passage 20 which communicates with the breather hole 15 at one end side and includes an opening 25 communicating with the outside at the other end side. In the breather structure 1, an erection part 22 which is formed so as to extend upward in a direction from the one end side to the other end side is provided in the middle of the ventilation passage 20. In the breather structure 1, the ventilation passage 20 is formed curved in a circumferential direction so that the opening 25 is located at the lower side relative to the breather hole 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a breather structure that adjusts the differential pressure between the inside and outside of a case (compartment) that houses a transmission and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a vehicle equipped with a transmission, engine power is input to the transmission, and the power changed by the transmission is transmitted to driving wheels via a differential gear (actuating device) or the like. By this, the vehicle is supposed to run. As the transmission, for example, a continuously variable transmission (CVT), a stepped automatic transmission (AT), and the like are widely used.

The transmission is housed in a transmission case (simply called a case), and the case contains oil (fluid) for operating and lubricating each part. The temperature of the oil changes depending on the running state of the vehicle, and the pressure in the case changes as the temperature of the oil changes. Therefore, in order to reduce the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the case housing the transmission, the case is provided with a breather (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-9-273621

By the way, in the invention described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a breather plug is provided in the upper part of the case (also called compartment), and the breather plug cancels the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the case in the transmission. there is Therefore, there is a problem that the breather plug protrudes outside the case and the size of the transmission in the radial direction of rotation increases. Therefore, there are restrictions on the arrangement of the transmission in the vehicle.

In order to solve the above problems, a breather structure that does not use a breather plug is used. In the breather structure, a breather chamber communicating with the inside and outside of the case is provided in the partition wall of the case, and the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the case is adjusted via the breather chamber. The breather chamber has a projecting wall projecting from the inside to the outside of the case so as to surround the breather chamber, and the projecting end of the projecting wall is closed with a cover such as a washer. structure. In addition, the breather chamber has an opening that communicates with the outside in a part of the projecting wall, and through the opening, it is possible to breathe due to the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the case.

However, in the above breather structure, for example, when an excessive amount of oil mist is blown out, condensed oil may drip from the opening and be visible to an operator during maintenance, for example. In such a case, there is a concern that the operator may misidentify it as an oil leak.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a breather structure capable of suppressing leakage of liquid such as oil discharged from the breather to the outside of the breather.

(1) The breather structure of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-described problems, is a breather structure for reducing the differential pressure between the inside and outside of a compartment partitioned from the inside and outside by a partition wall, the breather structure comprising: a breather chamber formed in the outer wall of the breather chamber, a breather hole that is formed in an outer wall on the outer side of the breather chamber and communicates the breather chamber with the outside; a ventilation path having an opening communicated with the outside at a side thereof, and formed in the middle of the ventilation path so as to extend upward from the one end side to the other end side. A raised portion is provided.

In the above-described breather structure, the air passage communicates with the breather hole on one end side and has an opening communicating with the outside on the other end side. Therefore, in the breather structure described above, at least part of the liquid such as oil discharged from the breather hole (simply referred to as oil, including mist-like liquid) discharged from the breather hole passes through the air passage. It can be put back into the compartment. Further, the above-described breather structure includes a raised portion formed in the middle of the air passage so as to extend upward from one end (breather hole side) toward the other end. Therefore, the above-described breather structure can condense oil passing through the rising portion, and the condensed oil can be returned to the breather hole side by gravity. That is, the above-described breather structure can separate the oil and the gas from liquid, and can eliminate the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the compartment. As a result, the breather structure of the present invention can suppress leakage of oil to the outside of the breather, thereby reducing environmental load. In addition, the above-described breather structure can return oil to the compartment side, so that reduction of oil can be suppressed. In addition, since the breather structure described above has a structure in which the breather chamber is formed on the outer surface of the partition, the amount of protrusion of the breather from the partition (also referred to as a case) can be greatly reduced. Therefore, the above-described breather structure can reduce the size of the breather, and can increase the degree of freedom and versatility in arranging the compartments.

(2) In the above-described breather structure of the present invention, it is preferable that the air passage is bent or curved so that the opening is positioned below the breather hole.

The above-described breather structure can suppress foreign matter such as contamination and moisture from entering from the opening side by the bent or curved portion of the air passage. In addition, in the breather structure described above, since the opening is positioned below the breather hole, it is possible to suppress the reverse flow of foreign matter from the opening to the breather hole.

(3) In the above-described breather structure of the present invention, it is preferable that the air passage is curved in the circumferential direction so that the opening is positioned below the breather hole. In addition, in the breather structure described above, since the opening is positioned below the breather hole, it is possible to suppress the reverse flow of foreign matter from the opening to the breather hole.

In the breather structure described above, the curved portion of the air passage can prevent foreign matter such as contamination and moisture from entering from the opening side. In addition, in the breather structure described above, since the ventilation path is curved in the circumferential direction, for example, when the ventilation path is covered with a lid, for example, a general-purpose washer or the like can be used as the lid.

(4) The above-described breather structure of the present invention may be characterized in that the raised portion is formed to reach a position above the breather hole.

By adopting such a configuration, the above-described breather structure can condense the oil while the oil passes through the rising portion (until it reaches the upper side). Therefore, the above-described breather structure can return the oil leaked from the breather hole to the breather hole side by gravity, so that leakage of the oil to the outside can be suppressed.

(5) In the above-described breather structure of the present invention, the air passage has a falling portion extending downward from the one end toward the other end on the opening side of the rising portion. Good to have.

Since the breather structure described above has a vertical portion, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of foreign matter (contamination, moisture, etc.) from the opening side. In other words, in the above-described breather structure, the vertical portion acts as a barrier to prevent foreign matter from flowing back into the air passage.

(6) In the breather structure of the present invention described above, it is preferable that the ventilation path is formed as a groove on the surface side of the outer wall, and that the open end side of the groove is covered with a lid.

With such a configuration, the breather structure described above can easily form an air passage. That is, in the breather structure described above, the ventilation path can be formed by forming a groove in the outer wall of the breather chamber by cutting or casting, for example, and covering the open end of the groove with a lid. Here, various shapes and sizes of lids can be used according to the shapes and sizes of the air passages. For example, when the ventilation path is curved in the circumferential direction, a general-purpose washer can be used as a cover to close the open end side of the groove. When the washer is used as the lid in this way, it is expected that the workability of the lid will be improved and the cost will be reduced.

(7) In the breather structure of the present invention described above, at the boundary between the groove and the lid, a gap is formed in one or both of the open end of the groove and the inner surface of the lid. good.

With such a configuration, the above-described breather structure can retain the oil in the gap even when the oil is discharged from the compartment. Thereby, the above-described breather structure can suppress leakage of oil from the breather. Also, the oil retained in the space is returned to the compartment through the breather chamber. Here, the gap may be provided, for example, on the groove wall on the open end side of the groove, or on the inner surface of the lid facing the groove wall. As a result, at least part of the oil passing through the inside of the groove (ventilation path) is held in the gap. The oil held in the gap is dried by heat and returned to the breather hole side, thereby suppressing leakage to the outside. Further, since the gap is formed at the boundary between the groove and the lid, it is possible to suppress the oil dripping from being seen from the outside. Thereby, the breather structure mentioned above can control that an operator etc. mistakenly recognize as an oil leak. Here, for the gap portion, gaps of various shapes having gaps that allow condensed oil can be adopted. Moreover, the gap may be formed over at least a part of the groove, and may be formed over the entire boundary between the groove and the lid. Further, the gap can be easily formed by cutting the open end side of the groove or cutting the inner surface of the lid.

(8) In the above-described breather structure of the present invention, it is preferable that the void portion is formed in a gap capable of exhibiting capillary action.

With such a configuration, the above-described breather structure can reliably draw oil into the gap. Therefore, the above-described breather structure can more reliably suppress oil leakage from the opening.

Here, in a vehicle equipped with the breather structure described above, for example, the torque converter is arranged below the breather hole. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle is submerged in water, there is a concern that the torque converter chamber will be submerged and foreign matter such as water will be scooped up by the rotation of the torque converter. In such a case, there is a concern that water or the like that has entered the torque converter chamber will be splashed up in the direction of the breather along with the rotation of the torque converter and enter the interior of the breather.

(9) In order to solve such a problem, in the above-described breather structure of the present invention, the torque converter is arranged below the breather hole, and the opening is arranged in a direction that does not face the rotation direction of the torque converter. should be open to

With such a configuration, the above-described breather structure can prevent water from entering through the opening even if the vehicle is flooded and water enters the torque converter chamber.

(10) In the above-described breather structure of the present invention, the compartment may accommodate a transmission.

The breather structure described above can reduce the amount of protrusion of the breather from the compartment as compared with a structure in which a breather plug is provided. Therefore, the above-described breather structure can reduce the size of the transmission (which may include the torque converter) by adopting such a structure. In addition, since the above-described breather structure suppresses oil dripping, it is possible to suppress oil dripping from the breather from being visually recognized by a worker or the like when repairing a transmission, an engine, or the like. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operator or the like from erroneously recognizing oil dripping from the breather as oil leaking from the transmission. Here, examples of the transmission used in the breather structure described above include a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a stepped automatic transmission (AT).

The present invention can provide a breather structure capable of suppressing leakage of liquid such as oil discharged from the breather to the outside of the breather.

1 is a partially cutaway front view of a transmission to which a breather structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, viewed from the engine side; FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the breather structure of FIG. 1 with a lid attached. It is the front view which looked at FIG. 1 over the wide range. (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged front view of the breather structure according to Modification 1 of the present invention, with the lid removed. (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 6, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of a lid in a breather structure according to Modification 2. FIG.

A breather structure 1 (also referred to as breather 1) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the breather structure 1 is arranged in a case 3 that houses a transmission 2 (transmission unit 2) of a vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a transmission 2 to which a breather structure 1 according to an embodiment of the invention is applied, viewed from the front side (engine side). Note that the illustration of the engine is omitted. 2 is an enlarged front view of the main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the breather structure 1 with the lid 30 attached.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the transmission 2 is mounted on a vehicle (not shown) and serves to change the speed of the power of an engine provided as a drive source for running. The transmission 2 has a torque converter 4 . For the transmission 2, for example, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) or a stepped automatic transmission (AT) is used.

As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the transmission 2 includes a case 3 as an outer shell that accommodates the transmission body. The case 3 forms a compartment 5 by partitioning the inside and outside with a partition 6 . The case 3 is made of metal such as an aluminum alloy, and is cast by a die casting method or the like.

Further, the case 3 has a peripheral wall 8 formed so as to extend to the outside (engine side) of the compartment 5 . A space surrounded by the peripheral wall 8 on the front side of the partition wall 6 serves as a torque converter chamber 7 and accommodates the torque converter 4 (see FIG. 1). The torque converter chamber 7 communicates with the outside, and the inside of the torque converter chamber 7 is open to the atmosphere through an appropriate opening (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1 , the torque converter 4 is housed in a torque converter chamber 7 (see FIG. 5 ) and arranged on the lower side outside the partition wall 6 . Although details will be described later, in the present embodiment, the torque converter 4 is arranged below the breather hole 15 in the breather structure 1 . In this embodiment, it is assumed that the rotation direction of the torque converter 4 is set clockwise when viewed from the rear side of the transmission 2 (clockwise direction in FIGS. 1 and 2).

As shown in FIGS. 5( a ) and 5 ( b ), the compartment 5 is cylindrically formed to surround the outer periphery of the transmission 2 , forming a transmission chamber 5 . The compartment 5 accommodates a transmission unit (not shown) therein. The compartment 5 is filled with lubricating oil (also referred to as oil or fluid) for the transmission unit. The compartment 5 communicates with a breather chamber 10, which will be described later. The partition 5 is separated from the outside by a partition 6, and is sealed except for a portion communicating with the breather chamber 10. - 特許庁

The above is the configuration of an embodiment of the transmission 2 in which the breather structure 1 of the present invention is mounted. Next, the breather structure 1 of the present invention will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the breather structure 1 is mounted on the partition wall 6 of the case 3. As shown in FIGS. The breather structure 1 enables breathing due to the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the compartment 5, and adjusts the differential pressure. Specifically, when the internal pressure of the transmission chamber 5 increases, the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the transmission chamber 5 is reduced by releasing the pressure from the transmission chamber 5 to the outside. On the other hand, when the internal pressure of the transmission chamber 5 decreases, the transmission chamber 5 takes in air, thereby reducing the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the transmission chamber 5 .

The breather structure 1 includes a breather chamber 10 (see FIG. 5), a breather hole 15, an air passage 20 communicating with the breather hole 15, and an opening 25 formed at one end of the air passage 20. . In addition to the above, the breather structure 1 includes a lid body 30 (see FIG. 3) and the like. In this embodiment, the breather structure 1 is arranged near the upper end side of the partition wall 6 .

As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the breather chamber 10 is formed in a substantially circular shape on the outer surface of the partition wall 6. As shown in FIG. Breather chamber 10 is formed on the upper end side of partition wall 6 . The breather chamber 10 communicates with the transmission chamber 5 through an opening (not shown). In addition, the breather chamber 10 has an outer wall 11 on the outer side. The breather chamber 10 communicates with the outside through a breather hole 15 and an opening 25, which will be described later.

The outer wall 11 forms a part of the partition wall 6 and is thickly formed in a substantially circular shape. A breather hole 15 is formed in the outer wall 11 .

The breather hole 15 is formed in a circular shape so as to pass through the outer wall 11 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the breather hole 15 is arranged so as to be positioned obliquely downward to the left with respect to the center of the outer wall 11 when the outer wall 11 is viewed from the front. Also, the breather hole 15 is open to the lower end side of the air passage 20 to be described later, and communicates with the air passage 20 .

The air passage 20 is formed by cutting the outer surface of the outer wall 11 into a groove, for example, to form a groove portion 21 . The air passage 20 has a breather hole 15 opening in the bottom surface on one end side. In this embodiment, the air passage 20 (groove portion 21) is curved upward along the circumferential direction. Specifically, the air passage 20 has a raised portion 22 extending circumferentially upward from the breather hole 15, a falling portion 24 extending circumferentially downward, and a rising portion 22 and a falling portion. and a curved portion 23 formed between . In addition, the ventilation path 20 is formed with an opening 25 communicating with the outside at the lower end side of the rising portion 24 . That is, one end side of the air passage 20 communicates with the breather hole 15 as described above, and the other end side communicates with the outside through an opening 25 described later.

The upright portion 22 is formed in the middle of the air passage 20 so as to extend upward from one end where the breather hole 15 is formed toward the other end. That is, the rising portion 22 is formed to reach the upper side of the breather hole 15 . Therefore, the rising portion 22 can cause the oil to condense while the oil-containing gas passes through (until it reaches the upper side). As a result, the oil is separated from the oil-containing gas (such as oil mist) discharged through the breather hole 15 . The separated oil drops from the rising portion 22 and is returned to the breather hole 15 side. On the other hand, the gas from which the oil has been separated rises up the rising portion 22 and is led to the falling portion 24 . Therefore, the upright portion 22 can return the oil leaked from the breather hole 15 to the breather hole 15 side by gravity, thereby suppressing the leakage of the oil to the outside. The rising portion 22 may be formed to extend upward, and may be formed in various shapes such as a linear shape and a curved shape.

The curved portion 23 is curved in an arc along the circumferential direction. One end side of the curved portion 23 is formed so as to be continuous with the upper end side of the rising portion 22 , and the other end side is formed so as to be continuous with the upper end side of the later-described falling portion 24 . That is, the curved portion 23 communicates between the rising portion 22 and the falling portion 24 .

The rising portion 24 is formed such that one end side (upstream side) thereof continues to the downstream side of the curved portion 23 . An opening 25 is formed on the other end side (downstream side) of the rising portion 24 . The falling portion 24 is formed to extend downward from the upstream side to the downstream side. Therefore, the falling portion 24 is designed to prevent foreign matter (such as contamination and moisture) from entering from the opening portion 25 side. That is, in the breather structure 1 of the present invention, the vertical portion 24 serves as a barrier to suppress backflow of foreign matter into the air passage 20 .

The opening 25 is formed so as to continue to the lower end side of the rising portion 24 and communicates with the outside (the torque converter chamber 7). The opening 25 is formed on the lower end side of the rising portion 24 so as to face radially outward (to the right in the figure) of the air passage 20 .

Here, the opening 25 is positioned below the breather hole 15, and the air passage 20 is curved along the circumferential direction. Therefore, in the breather structure 1 of the present invention, even if foreign matter such as contamination or moisture enters from the opening 25 , the curved portion of the air passage 20 can prevent the foreign matter from entering the breather hole 15 . Further, in the breather structure 1 of the present invention, since the opening 25 is positioned below the breather hole 15 , it is possible to prevent foreign matter from flowing back from the opening 25 to the breather hole 15 .

The opening 25 is opened in a direction not facing the rotational direction of the torque converter 4 (clockwise direction in FIGS. 1 and 2). Therefore, in the above-described breather structure 1, for example, even if the vehicle is flooded and water or the like enters the torque converter 4, the water or the like splashed up by the rotation of the torque converter 4 is directly Intrusion into the opening 25 can be suppressed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5B, the lid 30 is sized to cover the open end side (upper side) of the ventilation path 20 (groove portion 21). In the present embodiment, since the groove portion 21 is formed in a substantially circular shape, the lid body 30 is also formed in a circular shape accordingly. In addition, in this embodiment, a bolt with a washer in which a washer and a bolt are integrally formed is used as the cover 30 .

The lid body 30 is fastened by screwing a bolt into a screw hole 12 (see FIG. 5) formed in the center of the outer wall 11 (inward in the radial direction of the air passage 20). As a result, the open end side of the groove portion 21 is closed by the lid 30, and the air passage 20 is formed. The lid 30 is configured to prevent the oil-containing gas passing through the air passage 20 from leaking out of portions other than the opening 25 .

Thus, the breather structure 1 of the present invention can easily form the air passage 20 by closing the open end side of the groove 21 with the lid 30 . That is, the ventilation path 20 can be formed by forming a groove 21 in the outer wall 11 of the breather chamber 10 by cutting or casting, and covering the open end side of the groove 21 with the lid 30 . Further, in the present embodiment, since the groove portion 21 is curved in the circumferential direction, a general-purpose washer, a bolt with a washer, or the like can be used as the lid body 30 . As a result, an improvement in workability of the lid body 30 and a cost reduction effect can be expected.

The above is the basic configuration of the breather structure 1 of the present invention. Next, the effects of the breather structure 1 of the present invention will be described below.

As described above, in the breather structure 1 of the present invention, the air passage 20 communicates with the breather hole 15 at one end and has the opening 25 communicated with the outside at the other end. Therefore, in the breather structure 1 of the present invention, at least part of the liquid such as oil discharged from the breather hole 15 (including mist-like liquid) discharged from the breather hole 15 is passed through the air passage 20 in the middle of the air passage 20. It can be returned to the room 5.

In addition, the breather structure 1 of the present invention includes a raised portion 22 formed in the middle of the air passage 20 so as to extend upward from one end side to the other end side. Therefore, the breather structure 1 of the present invention can condense the oil passing through the rising portion 22, and the condensed oil can be returned to the breather hole 15 side by gravity. That is, the breather structure 1 of the present invention can perform gas-liquid separation of oil and gas, and can eliminate the differential pressure between the inside and outside of the compartment 5 . As a result, the breather structure 1 of the present invention can suppress leakage of oil to the outside of the breather, thereby reducing environmental load.

In addition, the breather structure 1 of the present invention can return oil to the partition chamber 5 side, so reduction of oil can be suppressed. In addition, the breather structure 1 of the present invention has a structure in which the breather chamber 10 is formed on the outer side surface of the partition wall 6. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which a breather plug is provided, the breather structure 1 protrudes from the partition chamber 5 (case 3). can be significantly reduced. Therefore, according to the breather structure 1 of the present invention, the breather 1 can be made smaller, and the compartment 5 can be arranged more freely and versatile. Further, by applying the breather structure 1 of the present invention to the transmission 2, it is possible to reduce the size of the transmission 2 (which may include the torque converter 4). In addition, since the breather structure 1 of the present invention suppresses oil dripping, it is possible to prevent the oil dripping from the breather 1 from being visually recognized by an operator or the like when repairing the transmission 2, the engine, or the like. . Therefore, an operator or the like can be prevented from erroneously recognizing oil dripping from the breather 1 as oil leaking from the transmission 2 .

The basic configuration of the breather structure 1 of the present invention has been described above. Next, about Modification 1 and Modification 2 of the breather structure 1 in which the gap 40 is formed at the boundary between the lid 30 and the groove 21, A detailed description is given below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. It should be noted that in FIGS. 6 and 7, the void 40 is drawn more exaggerated than it actually is. Also, in the following description, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are used for the same members as in the embodiment described above.

<<Modification 1>>
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A, a breather structure 1A (also referred to collectively as breather structure 1) according to Modification 1 has a gap at the open end of the groove wall 21A located radially outside the groove 21. As shown in FIGS. A portion 40A (generically referred to as a gap portion 40) is formed.

The space 40A is formed from the opening end side of the breather hole 15 to the vicinity of the opening 25 along the circumferential direction of the groove wall 21A. The gap portion 40A is formed in a stepped shape, for example, by digging down the groove wall 21A by cutting or the like. The gap 40A is formed in a gap that can exhibit capillary action (for example, 0.5 to 3 mm, preferably 1 to 2 mm). Therefore, the space 40A can draw oil into the interior. In this manner, the breather structure 1A according to Modification 1 can more reliably suppress oil leakage from the opening 25 by including the gap 40A.

As described above, the breather structure 1A can retain the oil in the gap 40A even when the oil is discharged from the compartment 5 by providing the gap 40A. Further, the oil retained in the space 40A is dried by heat or returned to the breather hole 15 side, thereby suppressing leakage to the outside. Further, since the gap 40A is formed at the boundary between the groove 21 and the lid 30, it is possible to suppress the oil dripping from being seen from the outside. As a result, the breather structure 1A described above can prevent a worker or the like from erroneously recognizing an oil leak.

The configuration of the breather structure 1A according to Modification 1 has been described above. Next, the breather structure 1B according to Modification 2 in which the gap portion 40 is formed on the inner surface of the lid 30 will be described in detail below.

<<Modification 2>>
As shown in FIG. 7B, in a breather structure 1B (also referred to collectively as breather structure 1) according to Modification 2, a gap portion 40B (also generally referred to as a gap portion 40) is located inside lid body 30. formed on the sides.

The gap 40B is formed at the boundary between the groove wall 21A and the inner surface of the lid 30. As shown in FIG. The gap 40B is formed on the inner surface of the lid 30 at a position facing the gap 40A in the first modification. That is, the gap 40B is formed to face the upper end of the groove wall 21A on the inner side in the radial direction. As in Modification 1, the gap 40B is formed stepwise by, for example, digging the groove wall 21A by cutting or the like. Further, the gap 40B is formed with a gap (for example, 0.5 to 3 mm, preferably 1 to 2 mm) capable of exhibiting capillary action. Since the effects of the gap 40B are the same as those of the gap 40B of Modification 1, description thereof will be omitted.

Although the configuration of the breather structure 1B according to Modification 2 has been described above, the gap 40B and the gap 40A according to Modification 1 can be modified in various ways.

In Modification 1 and Modification 2, the gap 40 is formed continuously over substantially the entire circumference of the groove 21 , but the gap 40 is formed only in a part of the groove 21 in the circumferential direction. or intermittently. Further, the position where the gap 40 is formed and the gap of the gap 40 can be appropriately changed according to the properties of the oil. Further, the gap portion 40A in Modification 1 can be formed in one or both of the radially outer groove wall 21A and the radially inner groove wall 21B. Further, the gap portion 40B in Modification 2 can be formed at a position facing either or both of the radially outer groove wall 21A and the radially inner groove wall 21B. In addition, the gap 40 may be formed with unevenness or the like in order to improve the retention of oil. Alternatively, the gap 40 may be formed in the groove wall 21A or the groove wall 21B forming the opening 25. As shown in FIG.

The above is the embodiment of the breather structure 1 according to the present invention, but the breather structure 1 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be modified in various ways. can.

In the present embodiment, the case where the breather structure 1 is applied to the transmission 2 has been exemplified, but it is not limited to this, and the breather structure 1 of the present invention can be applied to various devices that require differential pressure adjustment between inside and outside. Available.

In this embodiment, the breather chamber 10 is formed in a circular shape, but the breather chamber 10 can be formed in various shapes and sizes. For example, the breather chamber 10 may be elliptical or polygonal. In addition, the breather chamber 10 can be arranged at various positions according to the partition chamber 5 and the partition wall 14 to be applied. For example, the breather chamber 10 may be provided in the peripheral wall 8 of the compartment 5 . Further, in the present embodiment, the single breather chamber 10 is exemplified, but the breather chamber 10 may be divided into a plurality of pieces. In addition, in this embodiment, the breather chamber 10 is formed on the outer surface of the partition wall 6, but the surface on which the breather chamber 10 is provided can be appropriately changed according to the purpose of use.

In this embodiment, the breather structure 1 is formed in the partition wall 6 formed in the vertical direction, but it is not limited to this. For example, the breather structure 1 may be arranged on the partition wall 6 formed in an inclined direction or a horizontal direction. Thus, the breather structure 1 of the present invention can be formed in various directions.

In this embodiment, the breather hole 15 is formed on the lower side of the breather chamber 10, but the breather hole 15 can be arranged at various positions. In such a case, it is desirable to form the ventilation path 20 upward with respect to the breather hole 15 . In addition, the size and shape of the breather hole 15 can be appropriately changed according to the characteristics of the oil discharged from the breather hole 15, the place where the breather structure 1 is applied, and the like. For example, the breather hole 15 may be elliptical or polygonal. Moreover, the breather hole 15 is not limited to being formed linearly with respect to the wall surface, and may be formed to be curved or bent.

In the present embodiment, the air passage 20 is curved upward along the circumferential direction, and has the rising portion 22, the curved portion 23, and the falling portion 24. Not limited. For example, the air passage 20 may have only the raised portion 22 . Further, the air passage 20 is not limited to being curved in the circumferential direction, and can be changed to various shapes and sizes. For example, the ventilation path 20 may be bent midway. Further, in the present embodiment, the air passage 20 is formed as the groove portion 21, and the groove portion 21 is closed by the lid 30. However, the air passage 20 is not limited to being formed as the groove portion 21. can be formed in the form of For example, the air passage 20 may be formed in the shape of a hole. In such a case, the lid 30 should be discarded. Moreover, the falling portion 24 may be provided as required, and the shape and size of the falling portion 24 may be of various shapes.

In this embodiment, the cover 30 closes the open end of the groove 21. However, the cover 30 may be omitted (the open end of the groove 21 may not be closed). It is possible. Also, the shape and size of the lid 30 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the lid body 30 may be formed in an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape, and the lid body 30 may be configured to block only a part of the groove portion 21 . Further, the lid 30 can be formed using various members other than the one formed as a washer. Further, the lid body 30 can be fastened not only by bolts but also by various members such as pins.

In the present embodiment, the air passage 20 is formed so that the opening 25 is located below the breather hole 15, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the opening 25 may be positioned above the breather hole 15 . In such a case, the opening 25 may be processed to make it difficult for foreign matter to enter, or the orientation of the opening 25 may be changed. For example, the opening 25 may be formed in a direction intersecting with the ventilation path 20 instead of along the ventilation path 20 . Further, in the present embodiment, the opening 25 is opened in a direction not facing the rotational direction of the torque converter 4, but the direction in which the opening 25 is formed can be changed as appropriate. In addition, when a rotating body such as the torque converter 4 is arranged around the opening 25 and oil or the like is splashed by the rotating body, the direction in which the splashed oil or the like does not easily enter the opening 25 is adjusted. It is desirable to form the opening 25 in the direction.

In this modification, the breather structure 1 has the gap 40 at the boundary between the groove 21 and the lid 30, but the breather structure 1 may be configured without the gap 40. . The space 40 may be provided according to the characteristics of the oil to be discharged and the form of the breather structure 1 . Also, the shape and size of the void 40 can be changed as appropriate. Also, the position where the gap 40 is provided can be changed as appropriate. For example, the gap 40 may be provided in a part of the groove wall 21A or may be provided on the groove wall 21B side. Further, the gap 40 may be provided as one or more of the groove wall 21A, the groove wall 21B, and the lid body 30 . Also, the void 40 may be formed inside or outside the opening 25 . In addition, the gap 40 is not limited to one formed in a gap capable of exhibiting capillary action, and various types can be used as long as they can hold a certain amount of liquid such as oil.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case of suppressing leakage of oil in the transmission 2 was exemplified, but the breather structure 1 of the present invention can also be used to suppress leakage of various liquids other than oil. For example, the breather structure 1 of the present invention can be applied to dripping of water, foreign matter, etc. that has entered the compartment 5 .

Various embodiments and modifications of the breather structure according to the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and does not depart from the scope of the claims. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that other embodiments are possible from the teachings and spirit of the scope.

The breather structure of the present invention can be used to adjust the differential pressure between the inside and outside of various cases (compartments). In addition, the breather structure of the present invention can be preferably used for cases accommodating various transmissions such as a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a stepped automatic transmission (AT).

1: Breather structure (breather)
1A: Breather structure (breather)
1B: Breather structure (breather)
2: Transmission 3: Case 4: Torque converter 5: Compartment (transmission chamber)
6: partition wall 10: breather chamber 11: outer wall 15: breather hole 20: air passage 21: groove 22: rising portion 24: rising portion 25: opening 30: cover body (washer)
40: Gap 40A: Gap 40B: Gap

Claims (3)

A breather structure for reducing the differential pressure between the inside and outside of a compartment whose inside and outside are partitioned by a partition wall,
a breather chamber formed on the outer surface of the partition;
a breather hole formed in an outer wall on the outer side of the breather chamber and communicating between the breather chamber and the outside;
a ventilation passage having an opening that communicates with the breather hole on one end side and communicates with the outside on the other end side,
A breather structure, wherein a rising portion is formed in the middle of the air passage so as to extend upward from the one end side toward the other end side. 2. The breather structure according to claim 1, wherein the air passage is bent or curved so that the opening is positioned below the breather hole. A torque converter is arranged below the breather hole,
3. The breather structure according to claim 1, wherein said opening is opened in a direction not facing the direction of rotation of said torque converter.

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