JP2004092615A - Intake module - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an easily assemblable intake module with the reduced number of part items. <P>SOLUTION: An intake duct 30 is partially covered with a duct case 20. The duct case 20 has an ECU housing part 24 for housing an ECU 80 and a resonator capacity part 71 for forming a resonator with the opening part 32 of the intake duct 30. Accordingly, the number of part items can be reduced to facilitate the assembling. The ECU housing part 24 is adjacent to a duct cooling part 72 for introducing the outside air from a cooling air inlet 27. Therefore, the ECU 80 is cooled with the outside air carried in the duct cooling part 72, and the intake duct 30 is also cooled with the outside air carried in the duct cooling part 72. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an intake module for an internal combustion engine (hereinafter, an internal combustion engine is referred to as an “engine”).
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an intake system of an engine includes a plurality of devices having different functions such as an air cleaner, a throttle device, and an intake manifold. Therefore, an intake module in which a part of an intake system device is integrated and mounted on an engine is widely used. By modularizing a plurality of devices constituting the intake system, there is an advantage that the assembling to the engine can be simplified and the weight can be reduced.
[0003]
By the way, in recent years, technology for electronically controlling an engine has been widely used from the viewpoint of reducing exhaust gas and improving fuel efficiency. The engine is provided with an electronic control unit (ECU) as an electronic control unit, and the ECU controls the engine so as to be in an optimal operating state according to the running conditions of a vehicle on which the engine is mounted. The ECU electronically controls, for example, the flow rate of intake air sucked into the engine or the injection amount of fuel according to the load of the engine.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The ECU is constituted by an electronic circuit having a microcomputer such as a CPU, and generates heat when executing an operation for controlling the engine. When the ECU is installed near the engine, the ECU is exposed to heat from the engine. For this reason, the ECU is housed in a dedicated housing to protect the ECU from heat generated by the engine, and the ECU is cooled by introducing outside air into the housing.
[0005]
However, when the ECU is housed in the dedicated housing as described above, it is necessary to further provide a separate housing. For example, when the accommodation section is provided in the intake module, there is a problem that the number of components constituting the intake module is increased, and the assembling becomes complicated.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an intake module with a reduced number of parts and easy assembly.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the intake module of the first aspect of the present invention, the intake module includes a duct case that covers the intake duct. The electronic control means is housed in a control means housing part formed in the duct case. Further, the duct case has not only the control means accommodating portion but also a resonator volume portion forming a resonator together with the intake duct. Therefore, the control means accommodating portion and the resonator volume portion are integrally formed by the duct case. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, and assembling can be facilitated. Further, by covering the intake duct with the duct case, noise of intake air flowing through the intake passage formed by the intake duct is blocked by the intake duct and the duct case. Therefore, transmitted sound from the intake duct can be reduced.
[0008]
According to the intake module according to the second aspect of the present invention, the duct case has the control means accommodating portion therein and the cooling passage formed near the intake duct. Outside air is introduced into the cooling passage. Therefore, the intake air flowing through the electronic control means and the intake duct accommodated in the control means accommodation portion is cooled by the outside air flowing through the cooling passage. For example, when the ECU is cooled by the intake air flowing through the intake duct, the temperature of the intake air taken into the engine increases. When the temperature of the intake air rises, the efficiency of charging the intake air into the combustion chamber of the engine decreases, leading to a decrease in engine performance. On the other hand, since the outside air flowing through the cooling passage is different from the intake air, even if the control means accommodating portion is formed in the duct case covering the intake duct, the electronic control means is cooled by the outside air flowing through the cooling passage and The temperature of the intake air flowing through the duct does not rise. Further, the intake air flowing through the intake duct is also cooled by the outside air flowing through the cooling passage. Therefore, the temperature of the intake air sucked into the engine decreases, and the efficiency of charging the intake air into the combustion chamber of the engine improves, so that the performance of the engine can be improved.
[0009]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the intake module further includes a head cover and an intake manifold. A head cover cooling passage is formed between the head cover and the intake manifold, and the cooling passage communicates with the head cover cooling passage. Therefore, the outside air for cooling flowing through the cooling passage is supplied to the head cover. The outside air for cooling flowing through the head cover cooling passage insulates between the head cover and the intake manifold and cools the intake air flowing through the intake manifold. Therefore, not only the intake duct but also the intake manifold can be cooled.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an example showing an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 shows an intake module according to an embodiment of the present invention. The intake module 1 includes an air cleaner 10, a duct case 20, a throttle device 2, an intake manifold 40, a head cover 60, an ignition coil 3, an ECU 80 as electronic control means, and a fuel supply means 90. An intake module 1 including an air cleaner 10, a duct case 20, a throttle device 2, an intake manifold 40, a head cover 60, an ignition coil 3, an ECU 80, and fuel supply means 90 is mounted on a cylinder head of an engine (not shown). By attaching the head cover 60 to the cylinder head, the intake module 1 is mounted on the engine.
[0011]
In the case of this embodiment, the engine on which the intake module 1 is mounted is mounted on a front-wheel drive vehicle. Therefore, the drive shaft of the engine (not shown) is arranged perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle indicated by the arrow in FIG. The intake module 1 is housed in an engine room of the vehicle together with an engine (not shown), and the air cleaner 10 is located on the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle.
[0012]
The air cleaner 10 has an air cleaner case 11 made of resin. The air cleaner case 11 is formed to be hollow, and houses an air cleaner element 12 therein. The air cleaner 10 has an intake port 15 for sucking intake air at one end. The intake air sucked from the air inlet 15 passes through the air cleaner element 12 housed in the air cleaner case 11, whereby foreign substances contained in the air are removed. An intake duct 30 is connected to the other end of the air cleaner 10.
[0013]
The intake duct 30 forms a cylindrical intake passage. The intake duct 30 has one end connected to the air cleaner 10 and the other end connected to the throttle device 2. Part of the intake duct 30 is covered with the duct case 20. Duct case 20 is formed of resin. The duct case 20 has a case body 21 and a case cover 22 which are vertically divided as shown in FIG.
[0014]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an air flow meter 31 is provided between the air cleaner 10 of the intake duct 30 and the duct case 20. The air flow meter 31 has, for example, a thermal flow meter, and detects a flow rate of intake air flowing through an intake passage formed by the intake duct 30.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 2, the throttle device 2 is installed between the intake duct 30 and the air connector 41. The throttle device 2 has a throttle valve (not shown) for changing a cross-sectional area of an intake passage formed therein. The throttle valve is driven by an actuator (not shown). The throttle device 2 is fixed to the air connector 41. When the throttle valve of the throttle device 2 changes the cross-sectional area of the intake passage, the flow rate of intake air flowing through the intake passage is controlled. The intake air whose flow rate is controlled by the throttle device 2 flows into the air connector 41. The air connector 41 is formed of resin integrally with the intake manifold 40.
[0016]
The intake manifold 40 has an intake pipe 50 that communicates the air connector 41 with a combustion chamber of an engine (not shown). From the air connector 41, a number of intake pipes 50 corresponding to the combustion chambers of the engine are branched. The intake pipe 50 has a straight port portion 51 and a curved port portion 52. A curved port portion 52 that is folded back toward the air connector 41 is connected to an end of the straight port portion 51 formed linearly extending from the air connector 41 toward the air cleaner 10 on the air cleaner 10 side. The straight port portion 51 of the intake manifold 40 is installed on the side of the head cover 60 opposite to the cylinder head. Between each straight port portion 51 of the intake pipe 50, a plate-shaped wing portion 53 connecting the adjacent straight port portions 51 is formed.
[0017]
The head cover 60 is mounted on a cylinder head of an engine (not shown). The head cover 60 is formed of a resin. The straight port portion 51 of the intake manifold 40 is fixed to the head cover 60 by welding or the like. The ignition coil 3 has a coil for supplying a high voltage to an ignition plug (not shown). The ignition coil 3 is installed so as to penetrate the wing 53 of the intake manifold 40 and the head cover 60. The straight port portion 51 of the intake pipe 50 branched from the air connector 41 is located between the adjacent ignition coils 3. One end of the ignition coil projects from the wing 53 of the intake manifold 40 toward the head cover side. The unillustrated ignition plug side of the ignition coil 3 projects from the head cover 60 toward the engine.
[0018]
The ECU 80 has a microcomputer that controls each part of the engine. The ECU 80 is connected to an air flow meter 31, various sensors (not shown) such as a rotation speed sensor, an accelerator opening sensor, and a water temperature sensor. Signals output from various sensors are input to the ECU 80. The ECU 80 is connected to the throttle device 2 or the injector 91 of the fuel supply means 90. The ECU 80 detects an operating state such as an engine load state based on signals input from various sensors. Then, the ECU 80 outputs a drive signal for controlling each part of the engine such as the throttle device 2 and the injector 91 in accordance with a predetermined program according to the detected operating state.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 1, the ECU 80 has a circuit board 81, and a plurality of semiconductor devices such as a CPU and a ROM (not shown) are installed on the circuit board 81. The CPU installed on the circuit board 81 generates heat by executing the calculation. The ECU 80 is housed in an ECU housing section 24 as a control means housing section formed on the bottom 23 of the case body 21.
[0020]
The fuel supply means 90 has the injector 91 and the fuel rail 92 described above. The fuel rail 92 is a cylindrical member formed of resin or metal, and is installed on the inner side in the bending direction of the curve port 52 of the intake manifold 40. The fuel rail 92 has branch portions (not shown), and an injector 91 is attached to each branch portion. The fuel rail 92 is connected to a fuel supply device such as a fuel pump (not shown), and supplies the fuel supplied from the fuel tank to the injector 91 by the fuel supply device. The injector 91 injects the fuel supplied from the fuel rail 92 into the intake pipe 50. The end of the injector 91 on the side opposite to the fuel rail is provided so as to protrude into the intake pipe 50.
[0021]
The duct case 20 of the intake module 1 having the above configuration will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1, the duct case 20 includes the case main body 21 and the case cover 22 as described above. An intake duct 30 is housed in a space defined by the case body 21 and the case cover 22. The intake duct 30 is fitted into mounting portions 211 and 212 formed on the case body 21. After fitting the intake duct 30 into the mounting portions 211 and 212 of the case body 20, the case cover 22 is put on, and the case body 21 and the case cover 22 are joined by, for example, vibration welding. As a result, the duct case 20 and the intake duct 30 are integrally assembled. The integrated duct case 20 and the intake duct 30 form the integral intake module 1 together with the air cleaner 10, the intake manifold 40, the head cover 60, and the like by attaching the intake duct 30 to the air cleaner 10 and the throttle device 2.
[0022]
On the opposite side of the case body 21 from the case cover, an ECU accommodating portion 24 is formed. The ECU accommodating portion 24 is formed integrally with the bottom portion 23 of the case main body 21, and the side of the case main body 21 is open. The ECU 80 is inserted into the ECU accommodating portion 24 that is open on the side of the case body 21. The ECU 80 is fixed to the case body 21 by a screw (not shown) or the like.
[0023]
The space formed by the case body 21 and the case cover 22 is divided by the partition wall 25 and the partition 26. The space defined by the case body 21 and the case cover 22 is divided into a resonator volume 71, a duct cooling unit 72, and a cooling air discharge unit 73 by the partition 25 and the partition 26.
[0024]
The resonator volume 71 is formed on the partition wall 25 on the side of the air cleaner 10. The resonator volume 71 forms a resonator together with the opening 32 formed in the intake duct 30. The resonator enlarges the passage cross-sectional area of the intake passage formed by the intake duct 30, and reduces intake noise generated by air column resonance of the intake passage.
[0025]
The case body 21 has a cooling air inlet 27 formed therein, and the duct cooling unit 72 communicates with the cooling air inlet 27. The duct cooling section 72 is adjacent to the resonator volume section 71 with the partition wall section 25 interposed therebetween. The cooling air inlet 27 opens into the engine room of the vehicle in which the engine is mounted, and introduces outside air into the duct case 20 separately from the intake air flowing through the intake duct 30. The outside air for cooling introduced from the cooling air inlet 27 to the duct cooling unit 72 passes through the periphery of the intake duct 30 and is discharged from the cooling air outlet 28 formed in the case body 21 as shown by an arrow in FIG. Is done. A passage formed around the intake duct 30 and extending from the cooling air inlet 27 to the cooling air outlet 28 via the duct cooling unit 72 constitutes a cooling passage described in the claims. The cooling air outlet 28 communicates via a connection passage 61 with a head cover cooling passage 62 formed between the head cover 60 and the intake manifold 40. As a result, the outside air for cooling discharged from the cooling air outlet 28 flows into the head cover cooling passage 62.
[0026]
The head cover cooling passage 62 is formed between the head cover 60 and the intake manifold 40. The head cover 60 and the intake manifold 40 are integrally joined at their outer edges by, for example, vibration welding. A predetermined distance is ensured between the head cover 60 and the intake manifold 40, and a space serving as a head cover cooling passage 62 is formed. The head cover cooling passage 62 communicates with the cooling air outlet 28 via the connection passage 61. The head cover cooling passage 62 communicates with a cooling air discharge portion 73 formed in the duct cover 30 via the connection passage 63.
[0027]
The cooling air outlet 73 has a cooling air outlet 74 formed in the case cover 22. Outside air for cooling that has flowed from the head cover cooling passage 62 into the cooling air discharge portion 73 via the connection passage 63 and the inlet 29 formed in the case cover 22 is discharged from the cooling air outlet 74. The cooling air outlet 74 communicates between a radiator (not shown) and a radiator fan for cooling the radiator. The pressure between the radiator and the radiator fan is lower than the surrounding pressure due to the operation of the radiator fan. Therefore, suction pressure is generated at the end of the cooling air outlet 74 on the radiator side. As a result, a pressure difference is formed between the cooling air inlet 27 and the cooling air outlet 74. As a result, the outside air for cooling flows from the cooling air inlet 27 into the duct cooling section 72 of the duct case 20, and the cooling passage formed in the duct case 20, the head cover cooling formed between the head cover 60 and the intake manifold 40, and the like. The cooling air is discharged from the cooling air outlet 74 via the passage 62 and the cooling air discharging portion 73.
[0028]
The outside air for cooling which has flowed into the cooling passage formed in the duct case 20 from the cooling air inlet 27 flows around the intake duct 30 to cool the intake duct 30. Therefore, the temperature of the intake air flowing through the intake passage formed by the intake duct 30 decreases. Further, since the ECU accommodating portion 24 is formed integrally with the bottom 23 in the case main body 21, the ECU accommodating portion 24 and the duct cooling portion 72 are arranged adjacent to each other with the bottom 23 of the case main body 21 interposed therebetween. Therefore, the ECU 80 housed in the ECU housing part 24 is cooled by the outside air for cooling flowing through the cooling passage formed in the duct case 20. That is, the outside air for cooling flowing through the cooling passage of the duct case 20 cools not only the intake duct 30 but also the ECU 80.
[0029]
As described above, according to the intake module 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the intake duct 30 is integrally formed with the duct case 20 having the resonator volume 71, the duct cooling unit 72, and the ECU housing 24. The duct case 20 is also integrally formed with a cooling passage through which outside air for cooling flows. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, and assembly to the engine can be simplified.
[0030]
Further, according to the intake module 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the duct case 20 has a cooling passage through which not only the intake duct 30 but also external air for cooling for cooling the ECU 80 is formed. Thereby, the intake duct 30 is cooled, and the temperature of the intake air flowing through the intake duct 30 is reduced. Therefore, the charging efficiency of the intake air drawn into the combustion chamber of the engine is improved. Further, the temperature of the intake air flowing through the intake duct 30 does not rise because the ECU 80 is cooled by the cooling outside air flowing through the cooling passage. Therefore, the reliability of the semiconductor device constituting ECU 80 can be improved, and the performance of the engine can be improved. Furthermore, since the cooling passage is formed inside the duct case 20, the number of components does not increase, and the assembling can be facilitated.
[0031]
Further, according to the intake module 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the duct case 20 is provided with the resonator, the noise of the intake air is reduced. The duct case 20 covers the outer peripheral side of the intake duct 30. Therefore, noise generated from the intake air flowing through the intake passage formed by the intake duct 30 is shielded by the intake duct 30 and the duct case 20. Therefore, noise leaking from the intake duct 30 to the outside can be reduced.
[0032]
Further, according to the intake module 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the cooling outside air discharged from the duct cooling unit 72 flows into the head cover cooling passage 62 formed between the intake manifold 40 and the head cover 60. . The space between the head cover 60 and the intake manifold 40 is insulated by the outside air for cooling flowing through the head cover cooling passage 62. Further, the intake air flowing through the intake manifold 40 is cooled by the external air for cooling flowing through the head cover cooling passage 62. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a rise in the temperature of the intake air flowing through intake manifold 40 due to heat from the engine.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing the vicinity of a duct case and an intake duct of an intake module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an intake module according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an intake module according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a flow of outside air for cooling.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 intake module 20 duct case 24 ECU housing (control means housing)
27 Cooling air inlet (cooling passage)
28 Cooling air outlet (cooling passage)
30 intake duct 40 intake manifold 60 head cover 62 head cover cooling passage 71 resonator volume 72 duct cooling part (cooling passage)
80 ECU (electronic control means)

Claims (3)

An intake module constituting an intake system of an internal combustion engine,
An intake duct that forms an intake passage through which intake air that has passed through the air cleaner flows;
Electronic control means for controlling the operating state of the internal combustion engine,
A control means housing part that houses the electronic control means, and a duct case that has a resonator volume part that forms a resonator that reduces intake noise in the intake passage together with the intake duct, and covers the outside of the intake duct,
An intake module comprising: 2. The intake module according to claim 1, wherein the duct case has a cooling passage through which outside air flows, and the cooling passage is formed near the control unit accommodating portion and the intake duct. 3. A head cover mounted on the internal combustion engine, further comprising an intake manifold installed on a side of the head cover opposite to the internal combustion engine,
3. The intake module according to claim 2, wherein the cooling passage communicates with a head cover cooling passage formed between the head cover and the intake manifold, and through which air for cooling the head cover flows.

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