EP2627884B1 - Combustion engine and a method for producing such a combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine specified in the preamble of claim 1 and a method for producing such an internal combustion engine according to claim 10.

From the serial production of internal combustion engines, such internal combustion engines with a plurality of cylinders and at least one cylinder head are known, in which inlet ducts of the cylinder head open at an inlet flange surface and outlet ducts at an opposite outlet flange surface. Further, above a space in the cylinder head receiving the intake and exhaust ports and a coolant space, there is provided an oil space for a gas exchange valve actuator.

Such a cylinder head is in the document US 5,018,947 disclosed.

The known internal combustion engines have a relatively high complexity, in particular with regard to their production, which is due in particular to a large number of flange surfaces to be sealed. This results in undesirably high costs for the internal combustion engine.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an internal combustion engine of the aforementioned type and a method for producing such an internal combustion engine, which enable a cost reduction.

This object is achieved by an internal combustion engine having the features of patent claim 1 and by a method for producing such an internal combustion engine with the features of patent claim 10. Advantageous embodiments with expedient and non-trivial developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

The first aspect of the invention relates to an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders with at least one cylinder head, wherein inlets of the cylinder head at an inlet flange surface and outlet channels at an opposite Auslassflanschfläche open and above a space in the cylinder head, which receives the inlet and outlet ducts and a coolant space, a Oil space is provided for an actuator for gas exchange valves.

According to the invention, the inlet flange surface and the outlet flange surface are arranged inclined relative to one another such that an imaginary line of intersection of the two flange faces in the vertical direction of the internal combustion engine lies above the cylinder head and the cylinder head has an at least substantially triangular cross section.

As a result, in comparison to conventional internal combustion engines, a flange surface to be sealed between the cylinder head and a cylinder head cover and the cylinder head cover itself can be omitted. The internal combustion engine according to the invention thus has a low complexity, which keeps their production costs and thus their costs low. Furthermore, it has only a small number of parts, which is also beneficial to the low cost. Since in the internal combustion engine according to the invention compared to conventional internal combustion engines, the sealed flange between the cylinder head and the cylinder head cover can be omitted or their function is integrated in the inlet flange and the Auslassflanschfläche, the effort to seal the internal combustion engine according to the invention and their assembly effort is to be counted as low , which keeps the total costs on a small scale. In addition, the internal combustion engine according to the invention is particularly reliable and therefore inexpensive to produce.

Another advantage of the internal combustion engine according to the invention is that it has only a very small space requirement, in particular due to the mutually inclined arrangement of the flange. Thus, package problems, in particular in a space-critical area such as an engine compartment of a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, can be solved or avoided.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the oil space of the cylinder head in each case at least one opening to the two flange surfaces. As a result, the oil chamber is particularly easy to access, which keeps the assembly costs and the maintenance of the internal combustion engine according to the invention low. Further This makes a particularly inexpensive and cost-effective production of the cylinder head and thus possible with the entire internal combustion engine.

If a longitudinal web is provided above the oil space, which has passages for spark plugs and / or injection nozzles, injectors or the like, this has the advantage that the spark plugs and / or the injection nozzles are particularly easy to connect to the cylinder head or to be arranged thereon ,

A particularly time- and cost-effective installation of the internal combustion engine is made possible when cylinder head bolts for screwing the cylinder head with a motor housing of the internal combustion engine through the openings of the oil chamber in the flange directly accessible. Thus, the cylinder head, for example, with a simple standard tool and for a person to be mounted ergonomically cheap to be screwed to the motor housing. As a result, low cycle times for the manufacture and assembly of the internal combustion engine are possible, which keeps costs low.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the inlet flange of the cylinder head is at least partially covered by an intake module, which covers both the inlet channels and the opening to the oil chamber tight, in particular fluid-tight and oil-tight. In other words, this means that in comparison to conventional internal combustion engines, the sealing function of the cylinder head cover is at least partially integrated into the intake module, which also covers the intake ports. The intake module thus has a high degree of functional integration, which keeps the number of parts and the cost of the internal combustion engine low.

The intake module is formed for example of plastic, so that this and thus the internal combustion engine have a particularly low weight. Furthermore, this results in particularly low material costs, which is beneficial to the low cost of the internal combustion engine.

Furthermore, it is very advantageous if the outlet flange surface of the cylinder head is covered by an exhaust manifold module, which covers both the outlet channels and the openings to the oil chamber tight, in particular fluid-tight and in particular oil-tight. In comparison to conventional internal combustion engines thereby the sealing function of the cylinder head cover is at least partially integrated into the exhaust manifold module, so that the exhaust manifold module a particularly high functional performance having. This leads to a low number of parts, at low cost and to a low weight of the internal combustion engine.

The exhaust manifold module is formed, for example, as a thin-walled forming part of a metal, so that the production cost and manufacturing costs of the exhaust manifold module are low, but this high loads, especially high temperature loads, during operation of the internal combustion engine can endure damage over a long service life.

The actuating device for the gas exchange valves comprises, for example, a camshaft associated with the exhaust ducts and / or a camshaft associated with the intake ducts. For storage of the camshaft on the cylinder head, for example, a storage lane is provided, which is partially formed by the cylinder head. For supporting the camshaft on the cylinder head, the storage lane is partially formed by bearing caps, which attach to the cylinder head, for example, to screw, are. It can advantageously be provided that the bearing caps are integrated into the intake module and / or the exhaust manifold module. If one of these modules is then fastened to the cylinder head with the integrated bearing caps, for example bolted to it, this also results in a quasi-parallel connection of the bearing caps to the cylinder head to form the corresponding bearing lane. As a result, the camshaft or the camshafts can be held particularly inexpensively and only with a small number of parts on the cylinder head. This in turn benefits the low cost and low weight of the internal combustion engine according to the invention. Additional bearing caps and appropriate mounting operations for mounting this bearing cap on the cylinder head are not required.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the Verschraubungsebene the bearing caps of the camshaft in the flange of the intake and / or the exhaust manifold module. As a result, a separate, the costs undesirably increasing manufacturing process for the Verschraubungsebene omitted or such additional manufacturing process is not required, so that the internal combustion engine is particularly time-consuming and inexpensive to manufacture.

The second aspect of the invention relates to a method for producing an internal combustion engine according to the invention, wherein during the casting of the cylinder head, the oil space is formed by cores laterally through the openings in the Flange areas are introduced. In other words, the oil chamber can be represented by lateral slides of a pouring device and an oil chamber core can be dispensed with. The inventive method thus enables a particularly cost-effective production of the internal combustion engine.

The slides can be made of a steel and / or as a mold, which further reduces the cost of manufacturing the internal combustion engine. It is not necessary to shoot sand cores. Likewise, the mold and its storage is less sensitive to tolerances than is the case with a sand core storage. This allows the representation of very small wall thicknesses, which is associated with a low weight and low material costs for the production of the internal combustion engine. Furthermore, this results in a particularly high process reliability of the process, which means a further cost reduction.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment and from the drawing. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures can be used not only in the specified combination but also in other combinations, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Querschnittsansicht eines Zylinderkopfes einer Brennkraftmaschine, wobei der Zylinderkopf einen zumindest im Wesentlichen dreiecksförmigen Querschnitt aufweist; und

Fig. 2

eine schematische Perspektivansicht des Zylinderkopfes gemäß Fig. 1.

The drawing shows in:

Fig. 1

a schematic cross-sectional view of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, wherein the cylinder head has an at least substantially triangular cross-section; and

Fig. 2

a schematic perspective view of the cylinder head according to Fig. 1 ,

The Fig. 1 and 2 show a cylinder head 10 for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. The cylinder head 10 has inlet channels 12, via which air or a fuel-air mixture can flow into the cylinders of the internal combustion engine. Furthermore, the cylinder head 10 has exhaust passages 14, via which exhaust gas resulting from combustion of the air which is supplied with fuel in the cylinders or the air / exhaust gas mixture can flow out of the cylinders. How the particular Fig. 1 2, the intake ports 12 open at an intake flange surface 16 and the exhaust ports 14 open at an outlet flange surface 18 opposite the intake flange surface 16. In addition, the cylinder head 10 includes a space receiving the intake ports 12 and the exhaust ports 14 and a coolant chamber 20. The coolant chamber 20 is also referred to as a water chamber, in which, in particular during operation of the internal combustion engine, coolant is to cool the internal combustion engine and in particular the cylinder head.

In particular from the Fig. 1 shows that the inlet flange 16 and the outlet flange 18 are arranged inclined to each other, so that a cutting line 22 of the two flange surfaces 16 and 18 in the vertical direction of the engine and thus of the cylinder head 10 according to a direction arrow 24 above the cylinder head 10 and the cylinder head 10 a at least substantially triangular cross-section.

The cylinder head 10 also has a double-sided oil chamber 26, which is arranged in the vertical direction of the internal combustion engine and the cylinder head 10 according to a directional arrow 24 above the coolant chamber 20 and which each has a particularly large opening to both flange 16 and 18 out. The oil space 26 serves to receive oil to lubricate and cool an actuator for actuating gas exchange valves. The actuating device comprises a camshaft associated with the intake passages 12, by means of which intake valves of the gas exchange valves are to be actuated. Further, the actuator comprises a camshaft associated with the exhaust ports 14, by means of which exhaust valves of the gas exchange valves can be actuated.

In the oil chamber 26 a corresponding to each one of the camshaft bearing lane 28 and 30 is provided, which is partially formed by the cylinder head 10 and via which the respective camshaft is to be held on the cylinder head 10.

In order to cover both the oil chamber 26 at least partially and the inlet flange 16 tight, an intake module can be bolted to the cylinder head 10. In other words, the intake module performs both the function of covering and sealing the oil space 26 and the function of covering and sealing the intake passages 12. In order to cover and seal the oil chamber 26 on the other hand and the exhaust ports 14, an exhaust manifold module can be connected to the cylinder head 10.

This means that the oil chamber 26 and the inlet channels 12 and the outlet channels 16 are to be covered and sealed by means of the intake module and the exhaust manifold module. The modules thus have a particularly high functional integration, so that the number of parts and thus the cost of the internal combustion engine can be kept low. Additional sealing surfaces are thus not provided, so that the internal combustion engine and in particular the cylinder head 10 can be made particularly time-consuming and cost-effective. Furthermore, the cylinder head 10 and thus the entire internal combustion engine, in particular due to the at least substantially triangular formation of the cross section on a particularly small space requirement.

For supporting the camshafts on the cylinder head 10 bearing caps are provided, which are to be connected to the cylinder head 10, whereby the bearing lane 28 and 30 are formed. In order to keep the weight and the number of parts of the engine particularly low, the bearing cap of the storage lane 28 are advantageously integrated into the intake module and formed integrally with the intake module, and the bearing cap of the storage lane 30 are integrated into the exhaust manifold and integrally formed with the exhaust manifold.

Furthermore, the cylinder head 10 comprises receiving openings 32 in which injectors are to be accommodated. By means of the injectors, fuel can be injected directly into the cylinders. Furthermore, the cylinder head 10 comprises receiving openings 34 in which the gas exchange valves are to be accommodated. In addition, receiving opening 36 are provided for respective hydraulic elements, by means of which a clearance compensation of the gas exchange valves is feasible. The Fig. 1 and 2 can also be seen are bores 38 for longitudinal oil passages through which the camshafts and in particular bearing points, on which the camshafts are mounted in the bearing lanes 28 and 30, can be supplied with oil and thus to cool and lubricate.

For fastening spark plugs, by means of which a mixture of the air which has flowed into the cylinders and the fuel injected into the cylinders by means of the injectors can be ignited, a longitudinal web 40 is provided in the vertical direction according to the directional arrow 24 above the oil chamber 26, which passages 42 for respective ones Having spark plugs, in which the spark plugs are to be included.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

cylinder head

12

intake ports

14

exhaust ports

16

inlet flange

18

exhaust flange

20

Coolant space

22

line of intersection

24

arrow

26

oil space

28

Lagergasse

30

Lagergasse

32

receiving opening

34

receiving opening

36

receiving opening

38

drilling

40

longitudinal web

42

passage

Claims (10)

1. Internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders with at least one cylinder head (10), wherein intake ports (12) of the cylinder head (10) open out on an inlet flange area (16) and exhaust ports (14) open out on an outlet flange area (18) lying opposite thereto, and, above a space in the cylinder head (10) which receives the intake and exhaust ports (12, 14) and a coolant chamber (20), at least one oil chamber (26) for an actuator for gas exchange valves is provided, wherein
   the inlet flange area (16) and the outlet flange area (18) are arranged inclined with respect to each other so that the imaginary intersection line (22) of the two flange areas (16, 18) lies above the cylinder head (10), and characterised in that
   the cylinder head (10) has an at least substantially triangular cross-section.
2. Internal combustion engine according to claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the oil chamber (26) of the cylinder head (10) has at least one respective opening to each of the two flange areas (16, 18).
3. Internal combustion engine according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   a longitudinal web (40) is provided above the oil chamber (26), said longitudinal web (40) having passages (42) for spark plugs and / or injection nozzles.
4. Internal combustion engine (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   cylinder head screws for screwing the cylinder head to an engine housing are directly accessible through the openings of the oil chamber (26) in the flange areas (16, 18).
5. Internal combustion engine according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   screws for fixing bearings of camshafts or other valve actuation means are directly accessible through the openings of the oil chamber (26) in the flange areas (16, 18).
6. Internal combustion engine according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the inlet flange area (16) of the cylinder head (10) is covered by a suction module which tightly covers both the intake ports (12) and also the opening to the oil chamber (26).
7. Internal combustion engine according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the outlet flange area (18) of the cylinder head (10) is covered by an exhaust gas manifold module which tightly covers both the exhaust ports (14) and also the opening to the oil chamber (26).
8. Internal combustion engine according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   bearing caps of camshafts are integrated into the suction module and / or the exhaust gas manifold module.
9. Internal combustion engine according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the screw plane of the bearing caps of the camshafts lies in the flange areas (16, 18) of the suction and / or the exhaust gas manifold module.
10. Method for producing an internal combustion engine according to one of the claims 1 to 9,
    characterised in that
    when casting the cylinder head (10), the oil chamber (26) is cast through cores which are laterally incorporated through the openings in the flange areas (16, 18).

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