JP2002221296A - Method of and apparatus for cleaning oil circulating path for internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of cleaning an oil circulating path for an internal combustion engine, capable of saving a working labor, good in handleability and having a high cleaning effect. SOLUTION: A cleaning liquid circulation channel is composed by connecting a supply line 3 discharging a cleaning liquid from a pump 2 and a suction line 4 sucking the cleaning liquid into the pump 2 to the upstream and downstream of the oil circulating path 1 in an internal combustion engine E, respectively. The method of cleaning the oil circulating path comprises a first process for feeding the cleaning liquid from a cleaning liquid tank T1 through the supply line 3 to the oil circulating path 1 while scooping up a prescribed amount by the pump 2 through a liquid feeding line 7 joining up with the suction line 4 to pool the liquid in an oil pan, a second process for feeding a pressurized air from the suction line 4 into the oil pan 10 to clean the inside thereof, and a third process for circulating the cleaning liquid through the suction line 4 and supply line 3 to the oil circulating path 1 by the pump 2 while filtering the liquid and then discharging the liquid into a waste liquid tank T2 by the pump 2 through a discharge line 6 branching from the supply line 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for cleaning an oil circulation path of an internal combustion engine, such as an automobile engine, for cleaning the oil circulation path of the internal combustion engine with a cleaning liquid.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, engine oil used in an internal combustion engine such as an automobile engine is oxidized due to high temperature, deteriorates due to abrasion metal powder generated inside the engine and dust mixed in from an intake system. When the engine oil is changed, after the oil is drained, the oil circulation path is washed to remove old oil and sludge remaining in the oil circulation path of the internal combustion engine. I have.

As shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-15805, a conventional typical cleaning apparatus used for this cleaning is a storage tank for storing a cleaning liquid, and an internal combustion engine which pumps the cleaning liquid from the storage tank by a supply pump. A supply pipe for supplying an oil element to the oil circulation path via an oil element port, and a recovery pipe for sucking a washing liquid from a drain port of an oil pan of the oil circulation path with a recovery pump and collecting the cleaning liquid into the storage tank. The cleaning liquid is circulated between the tank and the oil circulation path to clean the oil circulation path. The supply pipe is also connected to an air supply device so that when the cleaning liquid is supplied to the oil circulation path, pressurized air is mixed with the cleaning liquid to enhance the cleaning effect.

[0004]

However, the conventional cleaning apparatus is provided with a cleaning liquid storage tank in the apparatus, and the cleaning liquid is temporarily stored in the storage tank for each circulation, so that the cleaning liquid flows from the storage tank to the oil circulation path. Two pumps, a supply pump for supplying the oil and a recovery pump for recovering the oil from the oil circulation path to the storage tank, are required, and cost increases. In addition, cleaning liquid is generally stored in drums or pail cans, and it is necessary to transfer the cleaning liquid from these to a storage tank, discharge old cleaning liquid from the storage tank, and wash the storage tank when discharging. It takes time to prepare.

[0005] During cleaning, pressurized air is mixed when the cleaning liquid is supplied to the oil circulation path, so that the supply side of the oil circulation path (upstream of the oil circulation path) has a high cleaning effect, but the downstream side of the oil circulation path. The pressure around the oil pan on the side does not reach the momentum of the pressurized air, and the cleaning effect is reduced. In particular, dirt of engine oil tends to accumulate in the oil pan. If dirt remains in the oil pan, the oil pan will soon become dirty even if new oil is added next time.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an oil circulation path for an internal combustion engine that can simplify the structure of a cleaning device, reduce the cost of the device, is easy to use, requires no preparation work, and has a high cleaning effect. An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning method and a cleaning apparatus.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of cleaning an oil circulation path of an internal combustion engine, which cleans an oil circulation path of the internal combustion engine with a cleaning liquid after discharging the lubricating oil therein. Is connected to the upstream side of the oil circulation path, while the suction pipe for sucking the cleaning liquid to the suction side of the pump is connected to the downstream side of the oil circulation path, and the cleaning liquid is supplied by the operation of the pump. Construct a circulating cleaning liquid circulation path. Through the liquid supply line merging with the suction line, the pump is used to pump a predetermined amount of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank through the measuring means,
The cleaning liquid is sent from the supply pipe to the oil circulation path,
A first step of storing the cleaning liquid in the oil pan on the downstream side is performed, and after the cleaning liquid is stored in the oil pan, pressurized air is sent from the suction pipe line into the oil pan to wash the downstream side of the oil circulation path. The process of the above, the washing solution of the oil pan,
The pump performs a third step of circulating the washing liquid while filtering the at least suction line through the suction line and the supply line to the oil circulation path, and collects the oil in the oil pan after the third step. The washing solution is
The waste liquid is discharged to a waste liquid tank through a discharge pipe branched from the supply pipe (claim 1).

[0008] In the cleaning method of the present invention, a supply pipe on the discharge side of the pump and a suction pipe on the suction side are connected to the upstream and downstream sides of the oil circulation path, respectively, to constitute a cleaning liquid circulation path. In the first step, the cleaning liquid is pumped up, supplied to the oil circulation path as it is, and stored in the oil pan downstream while cleaning the oil circulation path. Therefore, a storage tank for temporarily storing the cleaning liquid is unnecessary. In addition, when pumping the cleaning liquid, the pumping amount is controlled by a measuring means such as a flow meter, so that there is no waste of the cleaning liquid. In the second step, the cleaning liquid in the oil pan is stirred by the pressurized air, so that the area around the oil pan downstream of the oil circulation path can be effectively cleaned. In the third step, the cleaning liquid in the oil pan is efficiently circulated to effectively clean the oil circulation path, and finally the cleaning liquid is discharged from the oil pan to the waste liquid tank. Only one pump is needed to pump, circulate and drain the cleaning solution. In addition, the pumping and discharging of the cleaning liquid can be directly and automatically performed from the cleaning liquid tank and the waste liquid tank such as a drum or a pail. Labor of the work can be saved.

When the cleaning liquid is fed into the oil circulation path from the supply pipe in the first or third step, the cleaning liquid and the pressurized air are alternately fed into the oil circulation path for cleaning. By alternately feeding the cleaning liquid and the pressurized air, the cleaning liquid can spread to every corner of the oil circulation path and can be effectively cleaned.

In an apparatus for cleaning an oil circulation path of an internal combustion engine, in which a cleaning liquid flows into the oil circulation path of the internal combustion engine to clean the oil circulation path, a pump and a pipe connected from a discharge port of the pump to the oil circulation path of the oil circulation path are provided. A supply pipe that is detachably connected to the element port and supplies the cleaning liquid to the oil circulation path, and is piped from the suction port of the pump, and is detachably connected to a drain port of an oil pan of the oil circulation path and connected to the oil pan. A suction pipe for sucking the accumulated cleaning liquid; and a cleaning liquid circulation path for circulating the cleaning liquid when connected to the oil circulation path. The suction pipe is provided with a filtration means for filtering the cleaning liquid, and a liquid supply pipe is provided between the pump and the filtration means for joining via a switching valve and piping to a cleaning liquid tank. A measuring means is provided in the pipeline, and a predetermined amount of the cleaning liquid is pumped up from the cleaning liquid tank by the pump and supplied to the oil circulation path. The supply pipe is provided with a discharge pipe for branching through a switching valve and discharging the cleaning liquid to a waste liquid tank, and the cleaning liquid is discharged by the pump. In addition, an air line is connected to the supply line and the suction line from the air supply source via an on-off valve and a check valve at a position near the connection end connected to the oil circulation line, and the oil supply line is connected to the oil circulation line. It is configured to feed compressed air (claim 3).

In the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, the storage tank for temporarily storing the cleaning liquid in the apparatus is eliminated, and the cleaning liquid is pumped up, circulated and discharged by one pump, so that the structure is simplified and the apparatus is simplified. Costs can be reduced. Also,
Since the air pipes for supplying the pressurized air are connected to the supply pipe and the suction pipe connected to the upstream side and the downstream side of the oil circulation path, the pressurized air is respectively supplied from the upstream side and the downstream side of the oil circulation path. It can be sent to improve the cleaning effect.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 shows an oil circulation path cleaning apparatus S according to the present invention.
And the circulation path of the cleaning liquid between the oil circulation path 1 of the automobile engine E and the configuration of the cleaning apparatus and the cleaning process.

The cleaning device S has a circulation path through which the cleaning liquid flows around the pump 2, and the pump 2 is, for example, a trochoid pump. A supply line 3 for supplying the cleaning liquid to the oil circulation path 1 of the engine E from the discharge port to the discharge side of the pump 2 via the first switching valve 51;
The discharge pipe 6 for discharging the cleaning liquid to the waste liquid tank T2 is connected so that the connection from the discharge port of the pump 2 can be selectively switched by the first switching valve 51. Normally, the discharge port of the pump 2 and the supply pipe 3 are connected via the first switching valve 51.

The supply line 3 is constituted by a flexible pressure-resistant hose at least on the distal end side, and can be pulled out to the outside of the apparatus S. The supply line 3 is detachably connected to the oil element port 11 of the oil circulation path 1 at the front end. An element adapter 30 is provided. Further, a filter 80 is provided in the supply pipe 3 in the middle of the pipe to filter the cleaning liquid.

The discharge line 6 has a flexible pressure-resistant hose at the front end and can be pulled out of the apparatus S. The discharge line 6 has its front end inserted into the waste liquid tank T2. The waste liquid tank T2 uses a drum or a pail, and when a large drum or the like is used, the discharge line 6 is used.
Is pulled out of the apparatus S and inserted. When using a small pail or the like, the pail or the like is installed in the cleaning device S, and the discharge pipe 6 is inserted in the device S.

On the other hand, on the suction side of the pump 2, a suction pipe 4 for sucking the cleaning liquid from the oil circulation path 1 through a second switching valve 52 from a suction port, and a supply pipe for pumping the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank T1. The passage 7 is connected so that the connection to the suction port of the pump 2 can be selectively switched by the second switching valve 52. Usually, the pump 2 is connected via the second switching valve 52.
And the suction line 4 are connected.

The suction pipe 4 has a distal end made of a flexible pressure-resistant hose and can be pulled out of the apparatus S.
At the front end, a drain adapter 40 detachably connected to the drain port 12 of the oil pan 10 of the oil circulation path 1
It has. The suction pipe 4 is provided with a filter 81 and a Y-strainer 82 in the middle of the pipe to filter the washing liquid.

The liquid supply line 7 is provided with a flow meter 70 as a measuring means for measuring the flow rate of the cleaning liquid pumped up in the line. The liquid supply line 7 is a flexible pressure-resistant hose at the distal end, and is a device S
The hose can be pulled out, and a pipe is connected to the end of the hose. This is inserted into a cleaning liquid tank T1 storing the cleaning liquid. In general, the cleaning liquid tank T1 is a drum or a pail, and when pumping up from a large drum or the like, the liquid supply line 7 is drawn out of the apparatus S and inserted. When pumping from a small pail can, a pail can is installed in the cleaning device S and the liquid supply line 7 is set in the device S.
Is inserted.

Further, the cleaning device S includes a first air line 9a capable of supplying pressurized air to the oil circulation line 1 through the supply line 3 and an oil circulation line 1 through the suction line 4. A second air line 9b capable of supplying pressurized air. First
The air line 9a is provided with a pressure regulating valve 91 from a pressurized air source 90,
It is connected to the supply pipe 3 at an intermediate position X between the filter 80 and the element adapter 30 via a first on-off valve 92 and a first check valve 93. The second air line 9b branches from the downstream side of the pressure regulating valve 91 with the first air line 9a,
The suction pipe 4 is connected to a middle position Y between the filter 81 and the drain adapter 40 via a second on-off valve 94 and a second check valve 95. Although not shown, the pressurized air source 90 includes an air compressor and an accumulator.

The cleaning device S includes a pump 2, first and second switching valves 51 and 52, and first and second opening / closing valves 9.
2, a cleaning unit for controlling the cleaning device S
The pipe configuration of the cleaning liquid distribution system, the pipeline configuration of the pressurized air distribution system, the tank storage unit for storing the cleaning liquid tank T1 including the control unit and the pail can and the waste liquid tank T2, and the like are made of metal. It is integrated into the box body.

Next, a process of cleaning the oil circulation path 1 of the engine E by the cleaning device S will be described with reference to the drawings. The engine oil is removed, the element adapter 30 of the supply pipe 3 is connected to the oil element port 11 of the oil circulation path 1 to the oil circulation path 1 of the engine E with the oil element removed, and the suction pipe of the cleaning device S Road 4
Is connected to the drain port 12 of the oil pan 10 of the oil circulation path 1. Thereby, the pump 2, the supply line 3, and the suction line 4 of the cleaning device S,
The oil circulation path 1 and the oil circulation path 1 form a closed circuit in series, and the cleaning device S
A cleaning liquid circulation path for circulating the cleaning liquid between the oil circulation path 1 and the oil circulation path 1.

Then, by switching the second switching valve 52 of the cleaning device S, the suction port of the pump 2 and the liquid supply line 7 are connected,
The pump 2 is operated to pump the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank T1 through the liquid supply line 7. The pumped cleaning liquid is directly supplied from the supply pipe 3 to the oil circulation path 1 and stored in the oil pan 10 (first step). When pumping up the cleaning liquid, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid is controlled by a flow meter 70 provided in the middle of the liquid supply line 7, and when the pumping amount reaches a predetermined amount, the second switching valve 52 is switched to the suction line 4 side. To shut off the supply line 7 and terminate the pumping of the cleaning liquid. The pumping amount of the cleaning liquid, that is, the amount of the cleaning liquid used is, for example, 5
Approximately 2.5 liters are used with a 50 to 4000 cc class engine. The cleaning liquid used is based on a reducing engine oil. It should be noted that a kerosene-based one having no reducing property can also be used.

When the pumping of the cleaning liquid is completed, the oil pan 1
When the cleaning liquid is accumulated at 0, the pump 2 is stopped. Next, the second
The open / close valve 94 of the air line 9b is opened to open the pressure regulating valve 91.
The pressurized air adjusted to a predetermined pressure (about 0.2 to 0.3 MPa) is sent from the second air line 9b into the oil pan 10 via the suction line 4 (second step). . Accordingly, the pressurized air stirs the cleaning liquid in the oil pan 10 to improve the cleaning effect of the oil pan 10, and the cleaning liquid blown up by the pressurized air causes the crankshaft, the connecting rod, and the piston under the oil pan 10 to rotate downward. Etc. are effectively cleaned.

Although the cleaning liquid flows into the second air line 9b while the on-off valve 94 is closed, the inflow of the cleaning liquid is prevented by the check valve 95 and the on-off valve 94 is opened. The washing liquid in the pipe is pushed back and the oil pan 10
Backflow to On the other hand, the suction line 4 is filled with the cleaning liquid even when the pump 2 is stopped, and the pressurized air flows from the connection position Y to the oil pan 10 side even when the opening / closing valve 94 of the second air line 9b is opened. It does not flow from Y to the pump 2 side.

Next, after closing the on-off valve 94 and stopping the pressurized air, the pump 2 is operated, and the cleaning liquid is sucked from the oil pan 10 through the suction line 4 and the pump 2 and the supply line After that, the oil is sent to the oil circulation path 1 and circulated (third step). In this case, the operation and the stop of the pump 2 are periodically repeated (for example, by operating for 10 seconds and
For 2 seconds), while the pump 2 is stopped, the on-off valve 92 of the first air line 9a is opened to supply pressurized air from the first air line 9a via the supply line 3 to the oil circulation line 1. Send upstream. By alternately feeding the cleaning liquid and the pressurized air in this manner, the cleaning liquid is stirred by the force of the pressurized air,
The cleaning effect is further improved because the oil reaches the corners of the oil circulation path 1 and vigorously passes through the oil circulation path 1. The washing liquid is filtered by a filter 81, a Y-type strainer 82 and a filter 80 during the circulation.

When the third step is completed, the first switching valve 5
1, the drain line 6 is connected to the discharge port of the pump 2, the pump 2 is operated, and the cleaning liquid is sucked from the oil pan 10 and discharged from the discharge line 6 to the waste liquid tank T2 to circulate the oil. The cleaning of the road 1 is completed. In this case, the open / close valve 92 of the first air pipe 9a is opened to feed the pressurized air into the oil circulation path 1 and discharge the cleaning liquid remaining on the upstream side of the oil circulation path 1 while blowing it off.

According to the present embodiment, the supply pipe 3 and the suction pipe 4 respectively connected to the discharge side and the suction side of the pump 2 of the cleaning device S are connected to the oil upstream of the oil circulation path 1 of the engine E. The cleaning device S and the oil circulation path 1 are connected to the element port 11 and the drain port 12 on the downstream side.
A cleaning liquid circulation path having a closed circuit is formed between the supply pipe 3 and the pump 2. The cleaning liquid is directly and automatically pumped from the cleaning liquid tank T1 via the supply pipe 7 on the suction side of the pump 2 by the pump 2. The oil is supplied to the oil circulation path 1 and stored in the oil pan 10, so that there is no need to install a storage tank in the cleaning device as in the related art, and the work for transferring the cleaning liquid to the storage tank can be omitted. In addition, the amount of the cleaning liquid to be pumped is controlled by the flow meter 70, so that a predetermined amount can be reliably pumped, and no waste of the cleaning liquid occurs.

Further, the first and second air lines 9a, 9
b, the pressurized air is sent from the upstream side and the downstream side of the oil circulation path 1, so that the oil circulation path 1 can be efficiently cleaned as a whole, and in particular, the oil pan 10 on the downstream side of the oil circulation path 1 The surrounding cleaning effect can be further improved.

Further, at the end of cleaning, the cleaning liquid in the oil pan 10 can be directly and automatically discharged to the waste liquid tank T2 by the pump 2 via the discharge line 6 provided on the discharge side of the pump 2, thereby reducing the labor required for the operation. Can be omitted.

The cleaning device S itself eliminates the storage tank inside the device as in the prior art and pumps up, circulates, and discharges the cleaning liquid with one pump 2, so that the structure is simplified and the cost of the device is reduced. Can be reduced.

[0031]

According to the method and apparatus for cleaning an oil circulation path of an internal combustion engine of the present invention, there is no need for a storage tank for the cleaning liquid in the cleaning apparatus, and a pump for pumping, circulating and discharging the cleaning liquid is provided. I can do it. Therefore, the structure of the cleaning device can be simplified and the cost of the device can be reduced.
In addition, since the cleaning liquid is directly and automatically pumped from the cleaning liquid tank inside and outside the apparatus and discharged to the waste liquid tank, the preparation work does not require much labor and is easy to use. Since the pumping amount of the cleaning liquid is managed by the flow meter, the cleaning liquid is not wasted, and the cleaning effect can be improved by always using a new cleaning liquid for each engine cleaning. Further, since the pressurized air is also sent from the downstream side of the oil circulation path, the cleaning around the lower part in the engine can be effectively performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a circulation path of a cleaning liquid between an oil circulation path cleaning device of the present invention and an oil circulation path of an engine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 E Internal combustion engine (engine) 1 Oil circulation line 10 Oil pan 11 Oil element port 12 Drain port S Cleaning device 2 Pump 3 Supply line 4 Suction line 51,52 Switching valve 6 Discharge line 7 Supply line 70 Measuring means (Flow meter) 80, 81, 82 Filtration means 9a, 9b Air line 92, 94 Open / close valve 93, 95 Check valve T1 Cleaning liquid tank T2 Waste liquid tank

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A method for cleaning an oil circulation path of an internal combustion engine, wherein the oil circulation path of the internal combustion engine is washed with a cleaning liquid after draining an internal lubricating oil. While connecting to the upstream side of the circulation path, a suction pipe line for suctioning the cleaning liquid to the suction side of the pump is connected to the downstream side of the oil circulation path to constitute a cleaning liquid circulation path for circulating the cleaning liquid by the pump. The cleaning liquid is pumped up from the cleaning liquid tank by a predetermined amount through the measuring means through the liquid supply pipe which merges with the suction pipe, and the cleaning liquid is sent from the supply pipe to the oil circulation path to the oil pan on the downstream side thereof. The first step of storing, and after the cleaning liquid is stored in the oil pan, pressurized air is sent from the suction pipe line into the oil pan to wash the downstream side of the oil circulation path. A second step of cleaning, and a washing pipe of the oil pan cleaning liquid by the pump,
A third step of circulating the washing liquid while filtering it through at least the suction pipe is performed on the way to the oil circulation path via the supply pipe, and the washing liquid accumulated in the oil pan after the third step is pumped by the pump described above. A method for cleaning an oil circulation path of an internal combustion engine, wherein the oil is discharged to a waste liquid tank through a discharge pipe branched from a supply pipe. 2. The cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid and the pressurized air are alternately fed into the oil circulation path when the cleaning liquid is sent from the supply pipe to the oil circulation path in the first or third step. A method for cleaning an oil circulation path of an internal combustion engine according to the above. 3. A cleaning device for an oil circulation path of an internal combustion engine for cleaning an oil circulation path by flowing a cleaning liquid into an oil circulation path of the internal combustion engine, wherein the oil circulation path is piped from a discharge port of the pump. A supply pipe that is detachably connected to the oil element port of the oil supply port and supplies the cleaning liquid to the oil circulation path. A suction pipe for sucking the cleaning liquid accumulated in the pan, forming a cleaning liquid circulation path for circulating the cleaning liquid when connected to the oil circulation path, and the suction pipe having filtration means for filtering the cleaning liquid, A liquid supply line is provided between the pump and the filtration means, which is joined via a switching valve and is connected to the cleaning liquid tank,
A metering means is provided in the liquid supply line so that a predetermined amount of the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid tank to the oil circulation path while being pumped from the cleaning liquid tank. A drain pipe is provided to discharge the washing liquid to the waste liquid tank, and the cleaning liquid is discharged by the pump. Air is supplied to the supply pipe and the suction pipe at a position near the connection end connected to the oil circulation path. An apparatus for cleaning an oil circulation path of an internal combustion engine, wherein an air pipe is connected from a source via an on-off valve and a check valve, and pressurized air is sent to the oil circulation path.