FR2845455A1 - DEVICE FOR DRAINING AND CONTROLLING THE OIL LEVEL CONTAINED IN A GEARBOX HOUSING OF A MOTOR VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

Oil draining and leveling device contained in a gearbox casing comprising an oil overflow tube (21) integrally attached to the casing (2) and extending inside the latter up to a distance (C) from the bottom of the crankcase (2) corresponding to the maximum level of oil required, and a drain plug (16) consisting of a hollow tube (11) removable and concentrically fixed in the excess tube full of oil (21) which comprises at least one orifice (7) produced through its side wall located in the casing (2) approximately at the bottom of the latter, so as to hermetically seal the orifice (7), the hollow tube (11) being closed at its free end external to the casing (2) by the oil level control plug (15) removably and concentrically fixed to the hollow tube (11).

Description

The invention relates to a device for emptying and leveling

  the oil contained in a gearbox housing

  of motor vehicle speeds.

  Currently, a 5-speed gearbox used on a motor vehicle is emptied by removing a drain plug from the bottom wall of the housing. This drain plug is generally fixed by screwing to the casing with the interposition of a seal. The drain allows the oil contained in the crankcase to be emptied, either for the maintenance of the gearbox,

either for recycling.

  The proper functioning of the gearbox also depends on the oil level in the crankcase which must be between a maximum level and a minimum level indicated. The oil level in the sump must be

  therefore be regularly checked.

  To carry out this control, another threaded plug is usually used which is fixed to the casing at the top of the latter with the interposition of a

seal.

  Because of the increasingly complex design of the engines, it turns out that the oil level plug is less and less accessible and access to this plug 25 may require prior disassembly of other elements.

of the engine compartment.

  In addition, the gearbox may have different possible inclinations linked to the adaptations of the vehicles, which implies different positions of the oil level plug on the crankcase and therefore a variety of casings to be manufactured for the same type of

gearbox.

  In this context, the invention relates to a device for draining and leveling the oil contained in a gearbox housing making it possible to overcome the

aforementioned drawbacks.

  To this end, the device of the invention, moreover in accordance with the generic definition given by the preamble above, is essentially characterized in that it further comprises an oil overflow tube 21 integrally fixed to the casing 2 and extending inside the latter up to a distance C from the bottom of the casing 2 corresponding to the maximum level of oil required, in that the drain plug 16 consists of a hollow tube 11 which is removably and concentrically 10 fixed in the oil overflow tube 21 by projecting into a part of it internal to the casing 2 at least up to the upper edge of at least one orifice 7 made at through the side wall of the oil overflow tube 21 approximately at the bottom of the casing 15 2, so as to seal the orifice 7 hermetically, and in that the hollow tube 11 is closed at its free end external to the casing 2 by the oil level control plug 15 amovi firmly and concentrically fixed to the hollow tube 11, the oil level control plug 15 being able to be removed in order to evacuate the excess oil in the sump 2 through the oil overflow tube 21 and the hollow tube 11, and the drain plug 16 which can be removed to release the orifice 7 and discharge all the oil contained in the sump 2 through the orifice 7 and the overflow tube

  oil 21 to the outside of the crankcase 2.

  According to a first embodiment of the invention, the oil overflow tube 21 is produced in two parts comprising a bush 1 passing through the casing 2 and

  comprising the orifice 7 on its internal part to the casing 2 and an oil leveling pipe 10 fixed to the bush 1 in extension thereof and extending inside the casing 2 up to a distance C from the bottom of the crankcase 2 35 corresponding to the maximum oil level required.

  Preferably, the bushing 1 comprises at its end external to the casing 2 a flange 3 bearing on a circular flat part 5 of the casing 2, the flange 3 comprising a flat 4 facing a raised wall 6 which extends along a cord of the circular flat part 5 to allow indexing of the sleeve 1 relative to the housing 2. In addition, the sleeve 1 can be fixed to the housing 2

by force fitting.

  According to the invention, the socket 10 can also be

fixed to casing 2 by gluing.

  Advantageously, the oil leveling pipe

is flexible.

  Preferably, the socket 1 has four holes

  oil evacuation 7 of rectangular shape two to two diametrically opposite extending from the internal face 15 of the bottom of the casing 2 towards the interior of the casing 2.

  In addition, the hollow tube is fixed by screwing in

socket 1.

  According to a second embodiment of the invention,

  the oil overflow tube 21 is produced in a single piece.

  In this case, the oil overflow tube 21 is advantageously made from a relatively flexible material.

  In addition, the oil overflow tube 21 is fixed to the casing 2 by screwing the interior of the casing 2.

  According to any one of the two embodiments, the oil level control plug 15 is

  preferably fixed by screwing into the hollow tube 11.

  It is also possible that the oil level control cap 30 is fixed captively to the

hollow tube 11.

  The invention will be better understood and other aims,

  advantages and characteristics thereof will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows and which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings which

  represent nonlimiting examples of the device of the invention and in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of the oil draining and leveling device of the invention o the drain plugs and control oil level are in the closed position according to a first embodiment of the device, - Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the oil level control plug removed to perform the level control oil in the sump, - Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the drain plug removed to drain the oil contained in the sump, - Figure 4 is a front view of the open sump

  of a gearbox showing an example of installation 15 of the device of the invention.

  - Figure 5 is a perspective view of the socket forming part of the device of the invention, - Figure 6 is a perspective view of the hollow tube forming part of the drain plug of the device 20 of the invention, - Figure 7 is a perspective view of the plug

oil level control.

  - Figure 8 is a front view of the oil level control cap forming a cap, according to a variant of the device of the invention, - Figure 9 is a front view of a part of the device of the invention comprising the sleeve of FIG. 5, the hollow tube of FIG. 6 and the oil level control plug of FIG. 7 after assembly of these elements on the gearbox housing, - FIG. 10 is a bottom view along arrow X of the part of the device of the invention shown in Figure 9, - Figure 11 is a schematic sectional view of the oil draining and leveling device of the invention according to a second embodiment of the device. Referring to Figure 1, the oil draining and leveling device of the invention 5 firstly comprises a bushing 1 passing through the bottom wall 2a of the casing 2 of the gearbox and making

  protruding inside of it.

  The sleeve 1 is fixedly attached to the casing 2

  by fitting or by gluing in a bore 2b of the bottom wall 2a.

  The socket 1 is of generally hollow cylindrical shape and comprises at its end external to the casing 2 a partially circular flange 3 delimited by

  a flat 4 shown in FIGS. 5, 9 and 10.

  When the sleeve 1 is fixed to the casing 2, the collar 3 is in abutment on an annular flat part 5a machined at the end of a boss 5 of the bottom wall 2a of the casing 2 through which the

drilling 2b.

  The flat 4 is opposite a wall 6 of the boss extending along a cord of the casing 2 extending along a cord of the annular planar part 5 and cooperating with the flat 4 of the collar 3 of the sleeve 1 to allow an indexing of the sleeve 1 relative to the casing 2. A seal is provided between the collar 3 of the sleeve 1 and the annular flat part on which the collar 3 is supported. The sleeve 1 comprises, on its cylindrical part 30 internal to the casing 2 and at the level of the internal face of the bottom of the casing 2, at least one orifice 7 forming an orifice for discharging oil during emptying, as will be

detailed later.

  Preferably, the sleeve 1 has four orifices 7 each in the form of a rectangular window two with two diametrically opposite and extending from the internal face of the bottom of the casing 2 towards the interior of

this last.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the sleeve 1 has a first bore 8 of diameter d which extends from the flange 3 at least to the upper edges of the windows 7 and, preferably, beyond

these edges.

  The bush 1 has a second bore 9 of diameter D greater than the diameter d of the first bore 8 10 and which extends in extension of the latter and is connected to the first bore 8 by a shoulder A. The shoulder A of the bush 1 constitutes the background

  a counterbore for receiving a flexible oil level tube 10 disposed inside the casing 2 15 concentrically and in extension of the bush 1.

  The flexible oil level tube 10, which can be

  in a plastic material, thus extends from the shoulder B of the bush 1 to a distance C from the internal face of the bottom of the casing 2 which corresponds to the maximum admissible oil level in the casing 2.

  The device of the invention further comprises a hollow tube 11 which is a component of the plug

drain 16.

  The flexible tube 10 can be fixed by gluing in the countersinking of the sleeve 1.

  The hollow tube 11 is fixed concentrically and removably in the socket 1 by projecting therein up to approximately the end of the

socket 1 internal to casing 2.

  The hollow tube 11 is of generally cylindrical shape and has at one of its ends a hexagonal flange 12 which bears on the flange 3 of

socket 1.

  Preferably, the hollow tube 11 is fixed to the bush 1 by screwing into the part of the bush 1 fixed in the boss 5. The flange 12 then constitutes

a screw head.

  A seal is provided between the hexagonal flange 12 of the hollow tube 11 and the

collar 3 of sleeve 1.

  As shown more precisely in FIG. 6, the hollow tube 11 has a first cylindrical part 13

  of external diameter D 'approximately equal to the diameter d of the first bore 8 of the sleeve 1 and which extends from the hexagonal flange 12 at least to the upper edge of the windows 7 of the sleeve 1 so as to close them hermetically.

  The hollow tube 11 also comprises a second cylindrical part 14 arranged in extension and concentrically with the first cylindrical part 13 and connected to the latter by a shoulder B. The external diameter of of the second part

  cylindrical 14 of the hollow tube 11 is less than the diameter D of the second bore 9 of the sleeve 1 so as to leave an annular day at the level of the shoulder B of the sleeve 1 o the oil leveling pipe 10 is 20 connected.

  Thus, the mounting of the flexible oil leveling tube 10 and the hollow tube 11 is carried out so as to

  make these two tubes 10,11 communicate with each other.

  The device also includes a removable oil level control cap 25 and

  concentrically fixed in the hollow tube il at its collar 12, the assembly constituted by the hollow tube il and the oil level control plug 15 forming the drain plug 16 when the plug 15 hermetically seals the hollow tube 11.

  The oil level control plug 15 is

  preferably fixed in the hollow tube 11 by screwing and consists of a solid cylinder with an external diameter approximately equal to the internal diameter of the hollow tube 35 on which a thread extends.

  The oil level control plug 15 has a circular flange 17 at its end external to the casing and comes to bear on the flange

hexagonal 12 of the hollow tube 1.

  A seal is provided between the flange 17 of the control plug 15 and the hexagonal flange 12 of the hollow tube 11. The control plug 15 has a blind hole

  i5a with hexagonal cross section in which a hexagon wrench can be inserted for locking the control plug 15 in the hollow tube 11 and for unlocking the control plug 15 from the hollow tube 11.

  According to an alternative embodiment of the plug 15 shown in FIG. 8, the latter has its flange 17 defining a cap in which the

hexagonal flange 12.

  To seal the plug 15 in the

  hollow tube 11, the plug 15 comprises at its substantially cylindrical part 19 engaged in the hollow tube 11 a groove 19 in which an annular sealing gasket (not shown) engages by force fixed in the hollow tube 11.

  The removal of the drain cap 15 from the hollow tube 11 can be carried out by gripping and pulling a gripping tab 17a secured to the flange 17. It can be provided that the oil level control plug 15 is captive of the tube hollow 11 by the presence of a flexible link (not shown) between the tube

hollow 11 and the plug 15.

  As illustrated in Figure 2, control of the oil level in the gearbox is achieved by removing the oil level control plug.

of the hollow tube 11.

  If the oil level in the casing 2 is lower than the height C, there will be no oil flow H after the oil column contained in the flexible tube 10 and the hollow tube has been drained 11 and coming from the oil filling of these tubes 10,11 during the

vehicle operation.

  If the oil level in the crankcase 2 is higher than the height C, the excess oil H flows through 5 the flexible tube 10 and the hollow tube 11 towards the outside of the

housing 2.

  To ensure leveling, add oil to the crankcase 2 until the oil overflows H

through the hollow tube 1.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the gearbox is drained by removing the drain plug 16 consisting of the hollow tube 11 and the drain plug.

oil level check 15.

  The oil level control plug 15 and the hollow tube 11 can be removed simultaneously or successively, the withdrawal of the hollow tube 11 causing

  naturally removing the control plug 15.

  Removing the drain plug 16 frees the windows 7 from the socket 1 and the oil H contained in the crankcase 2 flows through the windows 7 and the socket

1 towards the outside of the casing 2.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the device is implanted in a casing 2, the flexible tube

  can be housed in a curved housing 20 of the housing.

  In this example of installation of the device of the invention in the casing 2, the sleeve 1 and the plug

  drain 16 penetrate obliquely into the casing 2.

  Whatever the installation position of the device of the invention on a casing, the orifices 7 30 very advantageously extend from the internal face of the bottom of the casing 2 in order to ensure emptying

crankcase oil 2.

  According to a second embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 11, the sleeve 1 and the flexible tube 35 10 are made in one piece forming an excess tube

full of oil 21.

  Preferably, the oil overflow tube 21 is fixed integrally to the casing 2 by screwing from the inside

housing 2.

  To this end, the bush 1 is anchored by screwing 5 in the boss 5 and locked in position by a stop forming means bearing on the internal face of the bottom wall 2a and constituted for example by stop elements 22 projecting from socket 1

between successive windows 7.

  Consequently, the hexagonal flange 12 of the hollow tube 11 comes to bear on the annular flat part Sa of the boss 5 when the hollow tube 11 is mounted

  concentrically in the oil overflow tube 21.

  A seal is then provided between the hexagonal flange 12 and the annular flat part Sa.

  Preferably, the oil overflow tube 21 is

  made from a relatively flexible material.

  In this way, it is possible to position the part of the tube 21 corresponding to the oil overflow pipe 19 of the first embodiment according to

the internal arrangement of the casing 2.

  In addition, it is also possible, for example, by increasing the thickness of the oil overflow tube 21 at the part fixed to the casing 2 25 to obtain the rigidity required for fixing the tube 21

in housing 2.

  The device of the invention enables the oil level to be drained and checked at the same location on the crankcase, thus facilitating the accessibility of the leveling plug 30 compared to the plugs existing hitherto. Maintenance operations are therefore facilitated by the presence of the

  the invention on a gearbox housing.

  In addition, the maximum oil level required may be variable depending on the position of the gearbox in the engine compartment without requiring the manufacture of a variety of crankcases since it will suffice.

  adapt the length of the leveling pipe 10 or the leveling tube 21 according to the oil level required in the gearbox.

Claims (13)

  1. Oil draining and leveling device 5 contained in a gearbox casing of a motor vehicle comprising a drain plug (16) removably fixed to the casing (2) of the gearbox and a plug control (15,18) of the oil level, characterized in that it further comprises an oil overflow tube (21) integral with the casing (2) and extending inside this up to a distance (C) from the bottom of the casing (2) corresponding to the maximum oil level required, in that the drain plug (16) consists of a hollow tube (11) which is removable and 15 concentrically fixed in the oil overflow tube (21) by projecting into a part of it internal to the casing (2) at least up to the upper edge of at least one orifice (7) made at through the side wall of the oil overflow tube (21) 20 approximately at the bottom of the casing (2), so as to seal the orifice tightly (7), and in that the hollow tube (11) is closed at its free end external to the casing (2) by the oil level control plug (15) removably and concentrically fixed to the hollow tube (11) , the oil level control plug (15) being able to be removed to evacuate the excess oil in the crankcase (2) through the oil overflow tube (21) and the hollow tube (11), and the drain plug (16) which can be removed to release the orifice (7) and discharge all the oil contained in the sump (2) through the orifice (7) and the tube   too full of oil (21) to the outside of the housing (2).   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil overflow tube (21) is produced in two parts comprising a bushing (1) passing through the casing (2) and comprising the orifice (7) on its internal part to the casing (2) and an oil leveling pipe (10) fixed to the bush (1) in extension of the latter and extending inside the casing (2) up to a distance (C) from the bottom of the crankcase (2) corresponding to the maximum oil level required. 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the sleeve (1) comprises at its end external to the casing (2) a flange (3) bearing on a circular flat part (5) of the casing (2), the flange (3) 10 comprising a flat (4) facing an upright wall (6) which extends along a cord of the circular flat part (5) to allow indexing of the sleeve (1) relative to the casing (2).   4. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the socket   (1) is fixed to the casing (2) by force fitting.   5. Device according to any one of   Claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the socket   (1) is fixed to the casing (2) by gluing.   6. Device according to any one of   Claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the hose   oil leveling (10) is flexible.   7. Device according to any one of   Claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the bush 25 (1) has four oil outlet ports (7) from   two to two diametrically opposite rectangular shapes extending from the inside of the bottom of the housing   (2) towards the inside of the casing (2).   8. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the hollow tube   (11) is fixed by screwing in the bush (1).   9. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil overflow tube (21) is produced in one piece.   10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the oil overflow tube (21) is produced   based on a relatively flexible material.   11. Device according to any one of   Claims 9 and 10, characterized in that the oil overflow tube (21) is fixed to the housing (2) by   screwing from the inside of it.   12. Device according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that the oil level control plug (15) is fixed by screwed into the hollow tube (11).   13. Device according to any one of   Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the plug   oil level control (15) is fixed so captive to the hollow tube (11).