EP1715148B1 - Engine oil level adjusting apparatus - Google Patents
Engine oil level adjusting apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1715148B1 EP1715148B1 EP06112611.6A EP06112611A EP1715148B1 EP 1715148 B1 EP1715148 B1 EP 1715148B1 EP 06112611 A EP06112611 A EP 06112611A EP 1715148 B1 EP1715148 B1 EP 1715148B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- oil
- engine
- viscosity
- appropriate
- oil level
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01M—LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING
- F01M1/00—Pressure lubrication
- F01M1/16—Controlling lubricant pressure or quantity
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01M—LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING
- F01M11/00—Component parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01M1/00 - F01M9/00
- F01M11/06—Means for keeping lubricant level constant or for accommodating movement or position of machines or engines
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01M—LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING
- F01M9/00—Lubrication means having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01M1/00 - F01M7/00
- F01M9/02—Lubrication means having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01M1/00 - F01M7/00 having means for introducing additives to lubricant
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01M—LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING
- F01M11/00—Component parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01M1/00 - F01M9/00
- F01M11/10—Indicating devices; Other safety devices
- F01M11/12—Indicating devices; Other safety devices concerning lubricant level
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01M—LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING
- F01M11/00—Component parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01M1/00 - F01M9/00
- F01M11/10—Indicating devices; Other safety devices
- F01M2011/14—Indicating devices; Other safety devices for indicating the necessity to change the oil
- F01M2011/1473—Indicating devices; Other safety devices for indicating the necessity to change the oil by considering temperature
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01M—LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING
- F01M11/00—Component parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01M1/00 - F01M9/00
- F01M11/10—Indicating devices; Other safety devices
- F01M2011/14—Indicating devices; Other safety devices for indicating the necessity to change the oil
- F01M2011/148—Indicating devices; Other safety devices for indicating the necessity to change the oil by considering viscosity
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an engine oil level adjusting apparatus that adaptively changes the appropriate oil level in the oil pan in accordance with the condition of the engine oil.
- the engine is equipped with an oil pan, which is provided to a lower portion of the engine and is capable of storing engine oil to be supplied to a lubrication system.
- the use of an oil makeup apparatus has been proposed in order to hold the appropriate amount of engine oil in the oil pan.
- the oil makeup apparatus is equipped with a sub tank separate from the oil pan, and is capable of adaptively supplying engine oil in the sub tank to the oil pan in accordance with the amount of engine oil remaining in the oil pan.
- Document JP H02-308916 A discloses an automatic engine oil makeup apparatus, which maintains a constant amount of engine oil in the oil pan by compensating for variations in the amount of oil fed by an oil feeding device such as a motor.
- the automatic engine oil makeup apparatus compensates for a decrease in the makeup amount as compared to that at ordinary temperature in association with the oil feeding ability of the oil feeding device such as a motor when the ambient temperature decreases and the engine oil has an increased viscosity. More specifically, the automatic engine oil makeup apparatus detects an engine oil supply environment by referring to given parameters, which may include the engine temperature at the time of engine startup, the engine oil temperature, and the intake air temperature, and determines the driving time of the oil feeding device.
- the automatic makeup apparatuses disclosed in the applications mentioned above are directed to changing the oil feeding device such as a motor in order to supply engine oil up to the predetermined appropriate oil level.
- the driving time is determined taking into account the viscosity of the engine oil, which is one of the parameters that reflect the engine oil supply environment. It is thus possible to always hold the engine oil at the predetermined appropriate oil level.
- the predetermined appropriate level is fixed regardless of the engine operating condition and oil condition. There is still room for improvement in the setting of the appropriate oil level in terms of improved efficiency in operating the engine.
- Document JP S62-045316 U discloses an engine oil level adjusting apparatus including an oil pan provided to a lower portion of an engine main body, a sub tank communicating with the oil pan, oil feeding means (a first valve and a second valve) for selectively feeding engine oil between the oil pan and the sub tank in both ways, oil temperature detecting means attached to the oil pan, amount-of-remaining oil detecting means for measuring the amount of engine oil remaining in the oil pan, and control means operating the oil feeding means on the basis of the oil temperature detecting means and the amount-of-remaining oil detecting means.
- An oil level in the oil pan maintains a first level while the oil temperature in the oil pan is below B°C and a second level that is higher than the first level while the oil temperature is B°C or more.
- Document JP H06-101441 A discloses a lubricating device for an engine by which the oil level of engine oil is controlled according to cold-down and warming-up of an engine and an oil amount optimum to operation of respective parts of an engine is fed.
- the lubricating device comprises an oil tank provided incidentally to an engine, an oil passage through which the oil tank is communicated with an engine oil reservoir, a control valve to open and close the oil passage, and a controller to open and close the control valve according to the temperature of engine oil.
- document US 2 026 662 A discloses an engine oil level adjusting apparatus according to according to the preamble of claim 1, and document JP S62-12712 U which is to be considered for the present invention.
- the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances and it is an object of the present invention to provide an engine oil level adjusting apparatus capable of storing an appropriate amount of engine oil in the oil pan in accordance with the condition of the engine oil.
- an engine oil level adjusting apparatus including: an oil pan provided to a lower portion of an engine main body; a sub tank communicating with the oil pan; and oil feeding means for selectively feeding engine oil between the oil pan and the sub tank in both ways, the apparatus further comprising: viscosity measuring means for measuring a viscosity of the engine oil in the oil pan; amount-of-remaining oil detecting means for measuring the amount of engine oil remaining in the oil pan; and control means for determining an appropriate oil level in the oil pan on the basis of the viscosity of engine oil obtained by the viscosity measuring means and for driving the oil feeding means so as to obtain the appropriate oil level.
- the engine oil level adjusting apparatus configured as mentioned above is capable of dynamically maintaining the appropriate oil level on the basis of the condition of the engine oil.
- the viscosity measuring means may include an oil temperature sensor attached to the oil pan and handles a sensor output of the oil temperature sensor as data indicating the viscosity of the engine oil, or may a sensor having a sensor output related to the viscosity of engine oil and handles the sensor output as data indicating the viscosity of the engine oil.
- a viscosity sensor capable of directly measuring the viscosity of engine oil may be employed, the present invention avoids the use of such a viscosity sensor.
- the temperature of engine oil correlates with the viscosity thereof.
- the present invention handles the viscosity of engine oil by using the output signal of an oil temperature sensor usually attached to the oil pan.
- the temperature of a cooling water correlates with the oil temperature, and thus, has a correlation with the viscosity of engine oil.
- the present invention may be modified so as to handle the viscosity of engine oil by using the output signal of a water temperature sensor. Since the oil temperature or water temperature correlates with the viscosity of engine oil, it may be possible to directly determine the appropriate oil level from the oil temperature or water temperature without actually obtaining the viscosity of engine oil.
- the control means is configured to determine the appropriate oil level so that the appropriate oil level in a first region in which the viscosity of the engine oil is high is set higher than the viscosity of the engine oil in a second region in which the engine oil has a lower viscosity than the viscosity in the first region. Further, the control means is configured to determine the appropriate oil level so that the appropriate oil level in a third region in which the viscosity of the engine oil is lower than that in the second region is set higher than the viscosity of the engine oil in the second region.
- the appropriate oil level is increased, for example, in a cold start in which the engine oil has a high viscosity and there is a difficulty in the return of the engine oil to the oil pan from the lubrication system. It is thus possible to avoid shortage of the engine oil.
- the appropriate oil level is set low in order to reduce the degree of touch of the engine oil with the crankshaft and reduce the friction therebetween. This improves fuel economy.
- the appropriate oil level is increased to avoid shortage of engine oil in the oil pan.
- the control means is further configured to determine the appropriate oil level so that the appropriate oil level in the first region is set higher than that in the third region.
- This structure takes into account the fact that the amount of engine oil needed when the oil temperature becomes high and the viscosity of engine oil is lowered is greater than that needed when the engine oil has a high viscosity and has difficulty in returning to the oil pan from the parts of the lubrication system.
- the viscosity measuring means may measure the viscosity of the engine oil by referring to an engine speed and/or an engine load.
- the control means may increase the appropriate oil level as the viscosity of the engine oil decreases. For example, after the completion of warming up, the oil temperature rises and the viscosity of the engine oil decreases as the engine load or speed increase. In these cases, it is required to supply a large amount of engine oil to the lubrication system of the engine.
- the appropriate oil level is raised to store an increased amount of engine oil in the oil pan in accordance with the engine load and/or speed. It is possible to directly determine the appropriate oil level from the engine load and/or speed without directly obtaining the viscosity of the engine oil therefrom.
- Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention in which an engine oil level adjusting apparatus 2 is incorporated into an engine main body 1.
- the engine oil level adjusting apparatus 2 has an oil pan 3 and a sub tank 5.
- the oil pan 3 is provided to a lower portion of the engine main body 1.
- the sub tank 5 communicates with the oil pan 3 via a joining pipe 4.
- An oil feeding motor 6, which functions as oil feeing means, is attached to the joining pipe 4.
- An oil temperature sensor 7 and an oil level sensor 8 are attached to the oil pan 3.
- the oil temperature senor 7 functions as viscosity measuring means, and the oil level sensor 8 functions as amount-of-remaining oil detecting means.
- the oil temperature sensor 7 and the oil level sensor 8 are connected to a controller 9, which serves as control means and is connected to the oil feed motor 6.
- the motor 6 allows the oil pan 3 and the sub tank 5 to selectively communicate with each other in both ways.
- the controller 9 may be an electronic control unit.
- the engine oil level adjusting apparatus performs the following oil level control. It is preferably required that the vehicle is in the horizontal state in order to accurately measure the oil level in the oil pan 3.
- the controller 9 determines whether an oil level control should be executed in accordance with a flowchart of Fig. 2 .
- the controller 9 refers to an output signal of a horizontal sensor 11, and determines whether the vehicle is in the horizontal state.
- the controller 9 performs the oil level control using the engine oil level adjusting apparatus 2 at step S12.
- the controller 9 does not execute the oil level control by the engine oil level adjusting apparatus 2 (step S13).
- the controller 9 executes the oil level control in accordance with a flowchart of Fig. 3 .
- the controller 9 determines whether an ignition switch 12 ( Fig. 1 ) connected to the controller 9 is in the ON state.
- the controller 9 refers to the output signals of the oil temperature sensor 7 and the oil level sensor 8, and acquires the temperature THO of the engine oil in the oil pan 3 and the current oil level at step S22.
- the controller 9 refers to a map with the oil temperature THO, and obtains the appropriate oil level.
- the map to be referred to at step S23 will now be described with reference to Fig. 4 .
- the map has map values obtained from a graph of Fig. 4 and stored in, for example, the controller 9.
- the horizontal axis of the graph denotes the oil temperature THO, and the vertical axis thereof denotes the appropriate oil level in the oil pan 3.
- the horizontal axis may be an address with which the map may be accessed, and the vertical axis may be the contents of the map.
- the use of the oil temperature THO is based on the fact that the viscosity of the engine oil has a correlation with the oil temperature THO. As shown in the graph, the oil temperature THO is sectioned into three regions, namely, the first, second and third regions.
- the engine oil has a high viscosity in an extremely cold state and the engine oil supplied to the engine main body 1 is not smoothly returned to the oil pan 3.
- the appropriate oil level L1 in the oil pan 3 is the highest in the first region.
- the ambient is at the ordinary temperature and the engine warming up is completed.
- the engine oil supplied to the engine main body 1 may be smoothly returned to the oil pan 3. Therefore, it is not necessary to consider the return of the engine oil.
- the appropriate oil level L2 in the second region is mainly intended to reduce the friction between the crankshaft and the engine oil, and is thus the lowest.
- the engine oil is at a relatively high temperature at which the engine oil has a lowed viscosity.
- the appropriate oil level L3 in the third region is set higher than the appropriate oil level L2 in the second region. It should be noted that the appropriate oil level L3 is set slightly lower than the appropriate oil level L1 in the first region. This is because the second appropriate level L2 is selected by taking into account both reduction in friction between the crankshaft and the engine oil and the lubrication performance.
- the controller 9 determines the appropriate oil level by referring to the map values stored in the controller 9 with the engine oil temperature THO obtained at step S22.
- the controller 9 compares the current oil level obtained at step S22 with the appropriate oil level obtained at step S23, and determines whether the appropriate oil level is equal to the current oil level.
- the controller 9 ends the control.
- the controller 9 proceeds to step S25.
- step S25 the controller 9 determines whether the current oil level obtained at step S22 is greater than the appropriate oil level obtained at step S23.
- step S25 the controller 9 executes step S26.
- step S26 the controller 9 causes the oil feeding motor 6 to rotate forwardly so that the oil is fed to the oil pan 3 from the sub tank 5.
- step S27 the controller 9 causes the oil feeding motor 6 to rotate backwardly so that the oil is fed to the sub tank 5 from the oil pan 3.
- Step S26 or step S27 is followed by step S24.
- FIG. 5 A description will now be given of a second embodiment of the present invention, which employs a different oil level control from that of the first embodiment.
- the oil level control of the second embodiment is shown in a flowchart of Fig. 5 .
- the controller 9 determines whether the engine has been warmed up. This determination may refer to the temperature of cooling water. After the engine is warmed up, the controller 9 executes at step S32 and reads the output signals of an engine speed sensor 13 ( Fig. 1 ), a throttle sensor 14 ( Fig. 1 ) and the oil level sensor 8. The controller 9 obtains the engine speed, the engine load and the current oil level from the sensor output signals. At step S33 subsequent to step S32, the controller 9 refers to the map values stored in the controller 9 with the engine speed and the engine load, and thus obtains the appropriate oil level.
- the map values used in step S33 may be created based on a graph of Fig. 6 .
- the horizontal axis of the graph denotes the engine speed and load, and the vertical axis thereof denotes the appropriate oil level in the oil pan 3.
- the engine speed/load is relatively high on the right-hand side of the horizontal axis and is relatively low on the left-hand side thereof.
- the graph of Fig. 6 shows that the appropriate oil level becomes higher as the engine speed/load becomes higher.
- step S33 the controller 9 determines the appropriate oil level using the map values.
- step S34 the controller 9 compares the current oil level obtained at step S32 with the appropriate oil level obtained at step S33, and determines whether the appropriate oil level is equal to the current oil level.
- step S34 the controller 9 ends the control.
- step S34 the controller 9 proceeds to step S35.
- step S35 the controller 9 determines whether the current oil level obtained at step S32 is greater than the appropriate oil level obtained at step S33.
- step S35 the controller 9 executes step S36.
- step S36 the controller 9 causes the oil feeding motor 6 to rotate forwardly so that the oil is fed to the oil pan 3 from the sub tank 5.
- step S37 the controller 9 causes the oil feeding motor 6 to rotate backwardly so that the oil is fed to the sub tank 5 from the oil pan 3.
- Step S36 or step S37 is followed by step S34.
- the temperature of cooling water may be used instead of the oil temperature THO as a parameter for the oil level control.
- the water temperature has a correlation with the oil temperature THO.
- an engine oil level adjusting apparatus including an oil pan (3) provided to a lower portion of an engine main body (1), a sub tank (5) communicating with the oil pan, and oil feeding means (6) for selectively feeding engine oil between the oil pan and the sub tank in both ways, there are provided viscosity measuring means (7) for measuring a viscosity of the engine oil in the oil pan, amount-of-remaining oil detecting means (8) for measuring the amount of engine oil in the oil pan, and control means (9) for determining an appropriate oil level in the oil pan on the basis of the viscosity of engine oil obtained by the viscosity measuring means and for driving the oil feeding means so as to obtain the appropriate oil level.
Description
- The present invention relates to an engine oil level adjusting apparatus that adaptively changes the appropriate oil level in the oil pan in accordance with the condition of the engine oil.
- Generally, the engine is equipped with an oil pan, which is provided to a lower portion of the engine and is capable of storing engine oil to be supplied to a lubrication system. The use of an oil makeup apparatus has been proposed in order to hold the appropriate amount of engine oil in the oil pan. The oil makeup apparatus is equipped with a sub tank separate from the oil pan, and is capable of adaptively supplying engine oil in the sub tank to the oil pan in accordance with the amount of engine oil remaining in the oil pan.
- Document
JP H02-308916 A - There is another proposal that copes with an over makeup of engine oil arising from a malfunction of the automatic engine oil makeup apparatus, as described in document
JP H05-288031 A - The automatic makeup apparatuses disclosed in the applications mentioned above are directed to changing the oil feeding device such as a motor in order to supply engine oil up to the predetermined appropriate oil level. The driving time is determined taking into account the viscosity of the engine oil, which is one of the parameters that reflect the engine oil supply environment. It is thus possible to always hold the engine oil at the predetermined appropriate oil level.
- However, the predetermined appropriate level is fixed regardless of the engine operating condition and oil condition. There is still room for improvement in the setting of the appropriate oil level in terms of improved efficiency in operating the engine.
- Document
JP S62-045316 U - Document
JP H06-101441 A - Further prior art is shown by document
US 2 026 662 A which discloses an engine oil level adjusting apparatus according to according to the preamble ofclaim 1, and documentJP S62-12712 U - The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances and it is an object of the present invention to provide an engine oil level adjusting apparatus capable of storing an appropriate amount of engine oil in the oil pan in accordance with the condition of the engine oil.
- This object is achieved by an engine oil level adjusting apparatus according to
claim 1. Advantageous further developments are as set forth in the dependent claims. - According to one aspect, there is provided an engine oil level adjusting apparatus including: an oil pan provided to a lower portion of an engine main body; a sub tank communicating with the oil pan; and oil feeding means for selectively feeding engine oil between the oil pan and the sub tank in both ways, the apparatus further comprising: viscosity measuring means for measuring a viscosity of the engine oil in the oil pan; amount-of-remaining oil detecting means for measuring the amount of engine oil remaining in the oil pan; and control means for determining an appropriate oil level in the oil pan on the basis of the viscosity of engine oil obtained by the viscosity measuring means and for driving the oil feeding means so as to obtain the appropriate oil level. With this structure, it becomes possible to adaptively increase and decrease the amount of the engine oil in the oil pan on the basis of the current viscosity of the engine oil and to more efficiently operate the engine. When the engine oil touches a crankshaft, the engine oil serves as a resistance to the rotation of a crankshaft and prevents the efficient operation of the engine. It is thus desired to reduce the amount of engine oil to the minimum level required. There is another situation. When the engine oil has a high viscosity, for instance, at the time of cold start, the engine oil is not smoothly returned to the oil pan after the engine oil is sucked from the oil pan and is supplied to parts of the engine lubrication system. It is thus required to store a large amount of engine oil in the oil pan. Further, it is required to supply a large amount of engine oil when the oil temperature is high and the viscosity of the engine oil is lowered, as compared to the amount of engine oil required at ordinary temperature. The supply of a large amount of engine oil is also required to effectively cool the parts of the lubrication system. It is thus required to store a large amount of engine oil in the oil pan when the viscosity of the engine oil is lowered. The engine oil level adjusting apparatus configured as mentioned above is capable of dynamically maintaining the appropriate oil level on the basis of the condition of the engine oil.
- The viscosity measuring means may include an oil temperature sensor attached to the oil pan and handles a sensor output of the oil temperature sensor as data indicating the viscosity of the engine oil, or may a sensor having a sensor output related to the viscosity of engine oil and handles the sensor output as data indicating the viscosity of the engine oil. Although a viscosity sensor capable of directly measuring the viscosity of engine oil may be employed, the present invention avoids the use of such a viscosity sensor. The temperature of engine oil correlates with the viscosity thereof. Thus, the present invention handles the viscosity of engine oil by using the output signal of an oil temperature sensor usually attached to the oil pan. The temperature of a cooling water correlates with the oil temperature, and thus, has a correlation with the viscosity of engine oil. The present invention may be modified so as to handle the viscosity of engine oil by using the output signal of a water temperature sensor. Since the oil temperature or water temperature correlates with the viscosity of engine oil, it may be possible to directly determine the appropriate oil level from the oil temperature or water temperature without actually obtaining the viscosity of engine oil.
- The control means is configured to determine the appropriate oil level so that the appropriate oil level in a first region in which the viscosity of the engine oil is high is set higher than the viscosity of the engine oil in a second region in which the engine oil has a lower viscosity than the viscosity in the first region. Further, the control means is configured to determine the appropriate oil level so that the appropriate oil level in a third region in which the viscosity of the engine oil is lower than that in the second region is set higher than the viscosity of the engine oil in the second region. With these structures, the appropriate oil level is increased, for example, in a cold start in which the engine oil has a high viscosity and there is a difficulty in the return of the engine oil to the oil pan from the lubrication system. It is thus possible to avoid shortage of the engine oil. When the engine is warmed up or the environment is at the ordinary temperature, the appropriate oil level is set low in order to reduce the degree of touch of the engine oil with the crankshaft and reduce the friction therebetween. This improves fuel economy. When the engine oil is at a high temperature and has a lowered viscosity in which the engine has a heavy load or rotates fast, the appropriate oil level is increased to avoid shortage of engine oil in the oil pan.
- The control means is further configured to determine the appropriate oil level so that the appropriate oil level in the first region is set higher than that in the third region. This structure takes into account the fact that the amount of engine oil needed when the oil temperature becomes high and the viscosity of engine oil is lowered is greater than that needed when the engine oil has a high viscosity and has difficulty in returning to the oil pan from the parts of the lubrication system.
- The viscosity measuring means may measure the viscosity of the engine oil by referring to an engine speed and/or an engine load. The control means may increase the appropriate oil level as the viscosity of the engine oil decreases. For example, after the completion of warming up, the oil temperature rises and the viscosity of the engine oil decreases as the engine load or speed increase. In these cases, it is required to supply a large amount of engine oil to the lubrication system of the engine. According to the present invention, the appropriate oil level is raised to store an increased amount of engine oil in the oil pan in accordance with the engine load and/or speed. It is possible to directly determine the appropriate oil level from the engine load and/or speed without directly obtaining the viscosity of the engine oil therefrom.
- Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
-
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an engine main body into which an engine oil level adjusting apparatus is incorporated in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 2 is a flowchart of a sequence for determining a vehicle horizontal state in which an oil level control is carried out;Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the oil level control in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 4 is a graph of a relationship between an oil temperature (THO) and an appropriate oil level; -
Fig. 5 is a flowchart of another oil level control in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and -
Fig. 6 is a graph of a relationship between an engine speed/load and the appropriate oil level. -
Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention in which an engine oillevel adjusting apparatus 2 is incorporated into an enginemain body 1. The engine oillevel adjusting apparatus 2 has anoil pan 3 and asub tank 5. Theoil pan 3 is provided to a lower portion of the enginemain body 1. Thesub tank 5 communicates with theoil pan 3 via a joiningpipe 4. An oil feeding motor 6, which functions as oil feeing means, is attached to the joiningpipe 4. Anoil temperature sensor 7 and anoil level sensor 8 are attached to theoil pan 3. Theoil temperature senor 7 functions as viscosity measuring means, and theoil level sensor 8 functions as amount-of-remaining oil detecting means. Theoil temperature sensor 7 and theoil level sensor 8 are connected to acontroller 9, which serves as control means and is connected to the oil feed motor 6. The motor 6 allows theoil pan 3 and thesub tank 5 to selectively communicate with each other in both ways. Thecontroller 9 may be an electronic control unit. - The engine oil level adjusting apparatus performs the following oil level control. It is preferably required that the vehicle is in the horizontal state in order to accurately measure the oil level in the
oil pan 3. Thecontroller 9 determines whether an oil level control should be executed in accordance with a flowchart ofFig. 2 . At step S11, thecontroller 9 refers to an output signal of ahorizontal sensor 11, and determines whether the vehicle is in the horizontal state. When the answer of step S11 is YES, thecontroller 9 performs the oil level control using the engine oillevel adjusting apparatus 2 at step S12. In contrast, when the answer of step S11 is NO, thecontroller 9 does not execute the oil level control by the engine oil level adjusting apparatus 2 (step S13). - When it is determined that the vehicle is in the horizontal state and the oil level control can be executed in the above-mentioned sequence, the
controller 9 executes the oil level control in accordance with a flowchart ofFig. 3 . At step S21, thecontroller 9 determines whether an ignition switch 12 (Fig. 1 ) connected to thecontroller 9 is in the ON state. When the answer of step S21 is YES, thecontroller 9 refers to the output signals of theoil temperature sensor 7 and theoil level sensor 8, and acquires the temperature THO of the engine oil in theoil pan 3 and the current oil level at step S22. At step S23, thecontroller 9 refers to a map with the oil temperature THO, and obtains the appropriate oil level. - The map to be referred to at step S23 will now be described with reference to
Fig. 4 . The map has map values obtained from a graph ofFig. 4 and stored in, for example, thecontroller 9. The horizontal axis of the graph denotes the oil temperature THO, and the vertical axis thereof denotes the appropriate oil level in theoil pan 3. The horizontal axis may be an address with which the map may be accessed, and the vertical axis may be the contents of the map. The use of the oil temperature THO is based on the fact that the viscosity of the engine oil has a correlation with the oil temperature THO. As shown in the graph, the oil temperature THO is sectioned into three regions, namely, the first, second and third regions. In the first region, the engine oil has a high viscosity in an extremely cold state and the engine oil supplied to the enginemain body 1 is not smoothly returned to theoil pan 3. Thus, the appropriate oil level L1 in theoil pan 3 is the highest in the first region. In the second region, the ambient is at the ordinary temperature and the engine warming up is completed. In the second region, the engine oil supplied to the enginemain body 1 may be smoothly returned to theoil pan 3. Therefore, it is not necessary to consider the return of the engine oil. The appropriate oil level L2 in the second region is mainly intended to reduce the friction between the crankshaft and the engine oil, and is thus the lowest. In the third region, the engine oil is at a relatively high temperature at which the engine oil has a lowed viscosity. A large amount of engine oil having a lowed viscosity is needed to be supplied to the enginemain body 1 to secure sufficient lubrication performance by the lowered viscosity of the engine oil. Thus, the appropriate oil level L3 in the third region is set higher than the appropriate oil level L2 in the second region. It should be noted that the appropriate oil level L3 is set slightly lower than the appropriate oil level L1 in the first region. This is because the second appropriate level L2 is selected by taking into account both reduction in friction between the crankshaft and the engine oil and the lubrication performance. - At step S23, the
controller 9 determines the appropriate oil level by referring to the map values stored in thecontroller 9 with the engine oil temperature THO obtained at step S22. At step S24, thecontroller 9 compares the current oil level obtained at step S22 with the appropriate oil level obtained at step S23, and determines whether the appropriate oil level is equal to the current oil level. When the answer of step S24 is YES, thecontroller 9 ends the control. On the contrary, when the answer of step S24 is NO, thecontroller 9 proceeds to step S25. - At step S25, the
controller 9 determines whether the current oil level obtained at step S22 is greater than the appropriate oil level obtained at step S23. When the answer of step S25 is YES, that is, when the current oil level is lower than the appropriate oil level, thecontroller 9 executes step S26. At step S26, thecontroller 9 causes the oil feeding motor 6 to rotate forwardly so that the oil is fed to theoil pan 3 from thesub tank 5. In contrast, when the answer of step S25 is NO, that is, the current oil level is higher than the appropriate oil level obtained at step S23, thecontroller 9 executes step S27. At step S27, thecontroller 9 causes the oil feeding motor 6 to rotate backwardly so that the oil is fed to thesub tank 5 from theoil pan 3. Step S26 or step S27 is followed by step S24. By the above-mentioned sequence, the appropriate oil level can be always maintained. - A description will now be given of a second embodiment of the present invention, which employs a different oil level control from that of the first embodiment. The oil level control of the second embodiment is shown in a flowchart of
Fig. 5 . - At step S31, the
controller 9 determines whether the engine has been warmed up. This determination may refer to the temperature of cooling water. After the engine is warmed up, thecontroller 9 executes at step S32 and reads the output signals of an engine speed sensor 13 (Fig. 1 ), a throttle sensor 14 (Fig. 1 ) and theoil level sensor 8. Thecontroller 9 obtains the engine speed, the engine load and the current oil level from the sensor output signals. At step S33 subsequent to step S32, thecontroller 9 refers to the map values stored in thecontroller 9 with the engine speed and the engine load, and thus obtains the appropriate oil level. - The map values used in step S33 may be created based on a graph of
Fig. 6 . The horizontal axis of the graph denotes the engine speed and load, and the vertical axis thereof denotes the appropriate oil level in theoil pan 3. The engine speed/load is relatively high on the right-hand side of the horizontal axis and is relatively low on the left-hand side thereof. The graph ofFig. 6 shows that the appropriate oil level becomes higher as the engine speed/load becomes higher. - At step S33, the
controller 9 determines the appropriate oil level using the map values. At step S34, thecontroller 9 compares the current oil level obtained at step S32 with the appropriate oil level obtained at step S33, and determines whether the appropriate oil level is equal to the current oil level. When the answer of step S34 is YES, thecontroller 9 ends the control. On the contrary, when the answer of step S34 is NO, thecontroller 9 proceeds to step S35. - At step S35, the
controller 9 determines whether the current oil level obtained at step S32 is greater than the appropriate oil level obtained at step S33. When the answer of step S35 is YES, that is, when the current oil level is lower than the appropriate oil level, thecontroller 9 executes step S36. At step S36, thecontroller 9 causes the oil feeding motor 6 to rotate forwardly so that the oil is fed to theoil pan 3 from thesub tank 5. In contrast, when the answer of step S35 is NO, that is, the current oil level is higher than the appropriate oil level obtained at step S33, thecontroller 9 executes step S37. At step S37, thecontroller 9 causes the oil feeding motor 6 to rotate backwardly so that the oil is fed to thesub tank 5 from theoil pan 3. Step S36 or step S37 is followed by step S34. By the above-mentioned sequence, the appropriate oil level can be always maintained. - The present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments, but includes other embodiments, variations and modifications within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the temperature of cooling water may be used instead of the oil temperature THO as a parameter for the oil level control. The water temperature has a correlation with the oil temperature THO.
- In an engine oil level adjusting apparatus including an oil pan (3) provided to a lower portion of an engine main body (1), a sub tank (5) communicating with the oil pan, and oil feeding means (6) for selectively feeding engine oil between the oil pan and the sub tank in both ways, there are provided viscosity measuring means (7) for measuring a viscosity of the engine oil in the oil pan, amount-of-remaining oil detecting means (8) for measuring the amount of engine oil in the oil pan, and control means (9) for determining an appropriate oil level in the oil pan on the basis of the viscosity of engine oil obtained by the viscosity measuring means and for driving the oil feeding means so as to obtain the appropriate oil level.
Claims (3)
- An engine oil level adjusting apparatus (2) including:an oil pan (3) provided to a lower portion of an engine main body (1);a sub tank (5) communicating with the oil pan (3);oil feeding means (6) configured to selectively feed engine oil between the oil pan (3) and the sub tank (5) in both ways;viscosity measuring means (7) configured to measure a viscosity of the engine oil in the oil pan (3);amount-of-remaining oil detecting means (8) configured to measure the amount of engine oil remaining in the oil pan (3); andcontrol means (9) configured to determine an appropriate oil level in the oil pan (3) on the basis of the viscosity of engine oil obtained by the viscosity measuring means (7) and to drive the oil feeding means (6) so as to obtain the appropriate oil level; whereinthe control means (9) is further configured to determine the appropriate oil level so that the appropriate oil level in a first region in which the viscosity of the engine oil is high is set higher than the appropriate oil level in a second region in which the engine oil has a lower viscosity than the viscosity in the first region,characterized in thatthe control means (9) is further configured to determine the appropriate oil level so that the appropriate oil level in a third region in which the viscosity of the engine oil is lower than that in the second region is set higher than the appropriate oil level in the second region, and that the appropriate oil level in the first region is set higher than that in the third region.
- The engine oil level adjusting apparatus (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the viscosity measuring means (7) includes an oil temperature sensor (7) attached to the oil pan (3) and handles a sensor output of the oil temperature sensor (7) as data indicating the viscosity of the engine oil.
- The engine oil level adjusting apparatus (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the viscosity measuring means (7) includes a sensor having a sensor output related to the viscosity of engine oil and handles the sensor output as data indicating the viscosity of the engine oil.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2005125556A JP4333629B2 (en) | 2005-04-22 | 2005-04-22 | Engine oil level adjustment device |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1715148A2 EP1715148A2 (en) | 2006-10-25 |
EP1715148A3 EP1715148A3 (en) | 2010-08-25 |
EP1715148B1 true EP1715148B1 (en) | 2018-09-26 |
Family
ID=36675995
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP06112611.6A Expired - Fee Related EP1715148B1 (en) | 2005-04-22 | 2006-04-13 | Engine oil level adjusting apparatus |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1715148B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4333629B2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN103225529B (en) * | 2013-05-06 | 2016-01-20 | 东风汽车公司 | A kind of intelligent oil pan assembly of use for diesel engine and using method thereof |
FR3017652B1 (en) * | 2014-02-19 | 2016-03-04 | Peugeot Citroen Automobiles Sa | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE VISCOSITY OF THE LUBRICATING OIL OF A THERMAL ENGINE |
CN107345493B (en) * | 2016-05-05 | 2020-07-28 | 上海汽车集团股份有限公司 | Method for adjusting lubricating oil liquid level of engine lubricating system |
FR3060648B1 (en) * | 2016-12-16 | 2020-12-25 | Renault Sas | ENGINE LUBRICATION CIRCUIT CONTROL SYSTEM INCLUDING A BUFFER TANK |
CN112196684A (en) * | 2020-09-08 | 2021-01-08 | 东风商用车有限公司 | Method and system for judging diesel engine oil fuel oil dilution |
Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2026662A (en) * | 1929-05-20 | 1936-01-07 | Gen Motors Corp | Lubricating system |
JPS6212712U (en) * | 1985-07-09 | 1987-01-26 |
Family Cites Families (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS61118519A (en) * | 1984-11-13 | 1986-06-05 | Toyota Motor Corp | Automatic engine oil supply device |
FR2581700B1 (en) * | 1985-05-10 | 1989-05-05 | Renault Vehicules Ind | DEVICE FOR INCREASING THE QUANTITY OF OIL CIRCULATING IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE |
JPS6245316U (en) | 1985-09-09 | 1987-03-19 | ||
JPH02308916A (en) | 1989-05-22 | 1990-12-21 | Toyota Motor Corp | Automatic supply device for engine oil |
JPH05288031A (en) | 1992-04-09 | 1993-11-02 | Toyota Motor Corp | Automatic adjusting device for engine oil |
JPH06101441A (en) | 1992-09-24 | 1994-04-12 | Suzuki Motor Corp | Lubricating device for engine |
JPH08159247A (en) * | 1994-12-02 | 1996-06-21 | Hino Motors Ltd | Lubrication device for transmission |
DE10062552A1 (en) * | 2000-12-15 | 2002-06-20 | Daimler Chrysler Ag | Lubricant oil circuit for IC engines has dosing unit, acting as adjusting member in refill pipe, to refill set part volumes of lubricant oil |
-
2005
- 2005-04-22 JP JP2005125556A patent/JP4333629B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2006
- 2006-04-13 EP EP06112611.6A patent/EP1715148B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2026662A (en) * | 1929-05-20 | 1936-01-07 | Gen Motors Corp | Lubricating system |
JPS6212712U (en) * | 1985-07-09 | 1987-01-26 |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1715148A2 (en) | 2006-10-25 |
JP4333629B2 (en) | 2009-09-16 |
EP1715148A3 (en) | 2010-08-25 |
JP2006300002A (en) | 2006-11-02 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
EP1715148B1 (en) | Engine oil level adjusting apparatus | |
JP4386890B2 (en) | Work machine equipped with prime mover control device | |
US6895320B2 (en) | Electronically actuated drive train in a motor vehicle and an associated operating method | |
JP5325896B2 (en) | Fuel management for vehicles with multiple tanks for different grades of fuel | |
JP4813971B2 (en) | Engine control method | |
WO2007043711A9 (en) | Hydraulic control device for engine | |
US9726129B2 (en) | Method for determining a fuel fraction in oil | |
GB2386975A (en) | Method and system for preheating a vehicle engine and/or vehicle passenger compartment. | |
JP2010007792A (en) | Automatic change gear and oil-feeding adjustment method of automatic change gear | |
US6196177B1 (en) | Electrical system for an internal combustion engine | |
JP4840857B2 (en) | Engine control device | |
US6701784B1 (en) | Carburetor fuel level management system | |
GB2461304A (en) | I.c. engine oil supply system with insulated oil storage for improved cold start efficiency | |
US7797098B2 (en) | Engine control device | |
EP0922843B1 (en) | Fuel feeding system and method for an internal combustion engine able to be operated selectively with gasoline or gas | |
JP4300874B2 (en) | Internal combustion engine | |
JP2009052445A (en) | Oil control device | |
KR101795586B1 (en) | Apparatus for operating oil pump of automatic transmission and method thereof | |
KR101850472B1 (en) | Device and method for controlling smart power of the vehicle | |
KR20180045869A (en) | Device and method for controlling smart power of the vehicle | |
JP2002089668A (en) | Warm-up control device | |
KR101879865B1 (en) | Device and method for controlling smart power of the vehicle | |
KR101850471B1 (en) | Device and method for controlling smart power of the vehicle | |
JP5088044B2 (en) | Engine control device | |
JP2004360617A (en) | Governor rotation control device for overheat prevention |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20060413 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A2 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: AL BA HR MK YU |
|
PUAL | Search report despatched |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A3 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: AL BA HR MK YU |
|
RAP1 | Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred) |
Owner name: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA |
|
AKX | Designation fees paid |
Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT |
|
RAP1 | Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred) |
Owner name: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: EXAMINATION IS IN PROGRESS |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20170124 |
|
GRAP | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: GRANT OF PATENT IS INTENDED |
|
INTG | Intention to grant announced |
Effective date: 20180412 |
|
GRAS | Grant fee paid |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3 |
|
GRAA | (expected) grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE PATENT HAS BEEN GRANTED |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: B1 Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GB Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R096 Ref document number: 602006056417 Country of ref document: DE |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R084 Ref document number: 602006056417 Country of ref document: DE |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20180926 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R097 Ref document number: 602006056417 Country of ref document: DE |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: DE Payment date: 20190402 Year of fee payment: 14 |
|
PLBE | No opposition filed within time limit |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT |
|
26N | No opposition filed |
Effective date: 20190627 |
|
GBPC | Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20190413 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GB Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20190413 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: FR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20190430 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R119 Ref document number: 602006056417 Country of ref document: DE |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: DE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20201103 |