JP2006077697A - Two-tank type oil pan - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a two-tank type oil pan capable of smoothly flowing engine oil inside and outside of a recessed part, in the two-tank type oil pan for arranging an oil pan separator having the recessed part in the oil pan for avoiding overheat of the engine oil after a temperature rise, by early raising the temperature of the engine oil. <P>SOLUTION: In this two-tank type oil pan 1, the inside of the oil pan 2 is partitioned into an auxiliary chamber 5 and a main chamber 4 for arranging a suction port 6a by the oil pan separator 3 having the recessed part 3a1. The oil pan separator 3 has a communicating hole 8 for communicating the main chamber 4 with the auxiliary chamber 5, and has a thermostat valve 9. This thermostat valve 9 is arranged in the oil pan separator 3 so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the suction port 6a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an oil pan that is provided below an engine block and stores engine oil.

  Conventionally, engine oil has been used for engine lubrication and cooling. This engine oil is stored in an oil pan provided in the lower part of the engine, and is circulated to each part of the engine by an oil pump. The engine oil that has circulated through each part of the engine is dripped into the lower oil pan. And the engine oil dripped in the oil pan is circulated to each part of the engine again by the oil pump. During this time, the engine oil receives heat from each part of the engine and cools each part. The engine oil also has a role of forming an oil film in each part of the engine to promote lubrication between the parts and preventing oxidation of the parts.

  Here, immediately after the cold start of the engine, the engine oil stored in the oil pan is cold, the viscosity is high, and it is not in a state suitable for circulating each part of the engine and lubricating each part. Therefore, immediately after the cold start, it is desired to raise the temperature of the engine oil as soon as possible so that it has an appropriate viscosity. For this purpose, the oil pan is divided into a plurality of compartments, and immediately after a cold start, the engine oil in one compartment is easily circulated, and the engine oil in this compartment is heated earlier, After warming-up is complete, it has already been studied to avoid overheating of the engine oil and make the engine oil in a preferable state (Patent Document 1). Such an early temperature rise of engine oil contributes to an improvement in fuel efficiency due to an early reduction of friction, and improvement is also desired from the recent strong demand for improvement in fuel efficiency.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of an oil pan 50 described in Patent Document 1. In order to effectively raise the temperature of engine oil, an oil pan separator 51 having a recess 51 a is placed in the oil pan 52. The oil strainer 53 is disposed so that the engine oil suction port 53a is located in the recess 51a, and communication holes 54 and 55 are provided in the upper and lower portions of the side wall 51a1 of the recess 51a to communicate the inside and outside of the recess 51a. Adopted. Of these communication holes 54 and 55, the communication hole 55 provided in the lower part of the side wall 51a1 of the recess 5a controls the circulation of the engine oil inside and outside the recess 51a by utilizing the change in the viscosity of the engine oil. Yes. That is, the diameter of the communication hole 55 is set to a small diameter, and the engine oil having a high viscosity during warm-up prevents the mixing of the engine oil inside and outside the recess 51a by utilizing the large oil resistance when passing through the communication hole 55. On the other hand, low-viscosity engine oil after completion of warm-up can pass through the communication hole 55, and the engine oil inside and outside the recess 51a is mixed. If the engine oil is mixed inside and outside the recess 51a, the temperature of the engine oil inside the recess 51a that has become high can be lowered by the engine oil outside the recess 51a at a low temperature.

On the other hand, the communication hole 54 provided in the upper part of the side wall 51a1 of the recess 51a can circulate the engine oil inside and outside the recess 51a regardless of the viscosity of the engine oil. The engine oil dropped into the pan separator 51 (inside the recess 51a) is caused to flow from the inside to the outside of the recess 51a of the oil pan separator 51. Therefore, as shown by an arrow 57, an engine oil circulation path is formed in which the engine oil flowing out from the upper portion of the recess 51a flows again into the recess 51a from the lower portion of the recess 51a according to the viscosity of the engine oil. It is designed to promote engine oil mixing and cool engine oil. The mixed engine oil is sucked up from the suction port 53a and supplied into the engine block 56 from above.
The oil pan is generally located on the lower side of the vehicle, and when the vehicle travels, the engine wind in the oil pan 52 is cooled by receiving a traveling wind as indicated by an arrow 58. ing. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 59 is an under cover attached to the vehicle.

JP 2003-222012 A

  However, in the oil pan 50 having the structure described in Patent Document 1, the communication hole 55 provided in the lower portion of the side wall 51a1 of the recess 51a is clogged with dust, sludge, etc. in the engine oil as described above, and the oil pan separator 51 There is a problem that engine oil does not flow into the recess 51a. Since the oil pan 50 described in Patent Document 1 is configured to include the engine oil suction port 53a in the recess 51a as described above, the engine oil does not flow into the recess 51a and the engine oil in the recess 51a. Insufficient quantity can cause engine burn-in. Further, even if the amount of engine oil in the recess 51a is not insufficient, the engine oil is difficult to circulate in and out of the recess 51a, so that the effect of cooling the engine oil is reduced, which causes a problem.

  Further, when the distribution of the engine oil inside and outside the recess 51a is made dependent on the viscosity of the engine oil, there is a problem that restrictions on the position and size of the communication hole 55 become large. That is, there is a possibility that desired engine oil circulation cannot be realized due to the difference in temperature and viscosity depending on the type of engine oil used. For example, when the engine is operating at a high load, when a large amount of engine oil outside the recess 51a is desired to flow into the recess 51a, the communication hole 55 has a small diameter. Is restricted, and engine oil is difficult to mix.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a two-tank oil pan provided with an oil pan separator having a recess in the oil pan, and supplies engine oil at a temperature at which a further improvement in fuel consumption can be expected according to the operating state of the engine. An object of the present invention is to provide a two-tank oil pan that can be used.

  In order to achieve the above object, the two-tank oil pan of the present invention comprises an oil pan separator that divides a sub chamber into which a suction port is disposed and a main chamber in which the suction port is not disposed, inside the oil pan, In the two-tank oil pan, the pan separator has a recess that forms the sub chamber, the sub chamber communicates with the interior of the engine block, and the recess has a communication hole that communicates the main chamber with the sub chamber. An opening / closing valve that communicates or isolates the main chamber and the sub chamber by performing an opening / closing operation in accordance with the temperature in the sub chamber is provided in the bottom plate portion of the oil pan separator. Here, a thermostat valve can be used as the on-off valve. The thermostat valve may be anything as long as it can be opened and closed according to the temperature in the sub chamber. In addition, the bottom plate portion in the present invention refers not only to the portion including the bottom surface of the recess, but also to the lower portion of the side wall of the recess, that is, the portion including the peripheral portion continuous from the portion including the bottom surface of the recess.

  In such a two-tank oil pan, the on-off valve may be provided at a position facing the suction port.

  Further, in the two-tank oil pan as described above, the bottom plate portion of the oil pan and the bottom plate portion of the oil pan separator are brought close to each other so that a throttle portion through which engine oil in the main chamber flows is provided. The communication hole is provided in the side wall of the recess, and the engine oil flowing out from the sub chamber to the main chamber through the communication hole is circulated to the throttle part, and the engine oil flowing through the throttle part is It is desirable to introduce the engine oil into the auxiliary chamber through an on-off valve and to suck up the introduced engine oil from the suction port. At this time, a configuration in which the communication hole is provided in the upper portion of the side wall of the recess is more desirable.

  The two-tank oil pan having the above-described configuration can be configured such that cooling fins are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the oil pan in order to efficiently cool the oil in the oil pan by the traveling wind.

  Further, the thickness of the on-off valve used in the present invention is set to a thickness that can be disposed below the suction port, and the on-off valve is provided on the oil pan separator so as to be located below the suction port. You can also. A bimetal valve can be used as the opening / closing valve having such a thickness.

  As described above, the two-tank oil pan of the present invention has an on-off valve that communicates or isolates the main chamber and the sub chamber by opening and closing according to the temperature in the sub chamber. In order to mount such an open / close valve on the oil pan separator, the open / close valve has a seal portion provided with a sealing material around the open / close valve, and the oil pan separator communicates the main chamber and the sub chamber. And a fixing portion that fits the seal portion so that the opening / closing valve faces the main chamber and the sub chamber from the opening. Here, a flange portion is provided around the on-off valve, the flange portion is covered with a sealing material to form the seal portion, and the fixing portion is positioned around the opening to position the seal portion. It can be set as the structure by which the groove part to fit and the taper part which is continuous with the said groove part and the said groove part side is small diameter were formed.

  Furthermore, as a configuration for mounting the on-off valve as described above to the oil pan separator, an opening that communicates the main chamber and the sub chamber is provided in the oil pan separator, and the on-off valve is connected to the main chamber and the opening from the opening. It is arranged so as to face the sub chamber, and the on-off valve can be supported by a drain plug attached to the oil pan. At this time, it is desirable that the diameter of the on-off valve is smaller than the diameter of the oil drain provided in the oil pan.

  According to the present invention, an oil pan separator having a recess partitions an oil pan into a main chamber and a sub chamber, and opens and closes according to the temperature in the sub chamber, thereby communicating or isolating the main chamber and the sub chamber. Since the on / off valve is provided on the bottom plate of the oil pan separator, the engine oil in the main chamber surely flows into the sub chamber through the on / off valve according to the engine oil temperature in the sub chamber, and flows into the sub chamber. Can be sucked up from the suction port. As a result, engine oil having a temperature that can be expected to improve fuel efficiency can be supplied into the engine according to the operating state of the engine.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, the two-tank oil pan 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view with a cross section of the two-tank oil pan 1. The two-tank oil pan 1 includes an oil drain 2a, a drain plug 10 is attached to the oil drain 2a, and an oil pan separator 3 having a recess 3a is provided inside the oil pan 2 having cooling fins 2b on the lower surface. Is provided. The recess 3 a of the oil pan separator 3 forms a sub chamber 5 that communicates with the engine block 7. That is, the oil pan 2 is partitioned into a main chamber 4 and a sub chamber 5 by the oil pan separator 3. A suction port 6 a of an oil strainer 6 is disposed in the sub chamber 5. In addition, a communication hole 8 that allows the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 to communicate with each other is provided in the side wall 3a1 of the recess 3a. This communication hole 8 is preferably provided as high as possible on the side wall 3a1 of the recess 3a. Therefore, in the two-tank oil pan 1 of this embodiment, the lower limit of the amount of engine oil stored in the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 It is provided at a position slightly below the level.

  A thermostat valve 9 corresponding to the on-off valve of the present invention is attached to the oil pan separator 3 so that the temperature sensing portion 9a is located in the sub chamber 5 as shown in the figure. The thermostat valve 9 opens the valve body 9b when the temperature rises and the thermowax in the temperature sensing portion 9a melts and expands, and when the temperature drops and the thermowax in the temperature sensing portion 9a contracts, In combination with the action, the valve body 9b is closed. Here, the suction port 6a of the oil strainer 6 is arranged in the sub chamber 5 as described above, but the thermostat valve 9 is attached to the oil pan separator 3 so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the suction port 6a. ing. That is, the thermostat valve 9 is attached in the vicinity of the suction port 6a so that the engine oil flowing into the sub chamber 5 from the main chamber 4 through the thermostat valve 9 is efficiently sucked up from the suction port 6a.

More specifically, the thermostat valve 9 is attached to the bottom plate portion 3a2 of the oil pan separator 3 as shown in FIG. Here, as shown in the side view of the oil pan separator 3 shown in FIG. 3, the bottom plate portion 3 a 2 is formed only by the bottom surface portion 3 b (portion including the bottom surface) of the recess 3 a included in the oil pan separator 3. Rather, it refers to the vicinity of the lower edge of the side wall 3a1, that is, the portion including the bottom surface portion 3b to the peripheral portion 3c continuous to the side wall 3a1. This is because the suction port 6a located at the lower part in the recess 3a is not exposed from the oil level even when the vehicle is tilted or the centrifugal force accompanying the turning of the vehicle is applied and the oil level of the engine oil is tilted. The thermostat valve 9 is intended to be attached at a position where the engine oil flowing into the sub chamber 5 from the main chamber 4 can be efficiently sucked up. Further, by attaching the thermostat valve 9 to the bottom plate portion 3 a 2 in this manner, dust such as oil soot and iron powder stored in the sub chamber 5 can be discharged into the main chamber 4 through the thermostat valve 9.
As shown in FIG. 4, the thermostat valve 9 is attached to the oil pan separator 3 by sandwiching a flange 9 d provided around the thermostat valve 9 with a fastening member 16 and fastening the fastening member 16 with a bolt 15. The thermostat valve 9 is attached to the oil pan separator 3.

  The two-tank oil pan 1 of this embodiment has a two-tank structure in which the oil pan separator 3 is provided in the oil pan 2 as described above, but the bottom plate portion 2c of the oil pan 2 as shown in FIG. And a throttle plate 13 through which engine oil in the main chamber 4 circulates by making the bottom plate portion 3a2 of the oil pan separator 3 approach. By providing the throttle portion 13 in this manner, in combination with the provision of the communication hole 8 in the upper portion of the side wall 3a1 of the recess 3a as described above, as shown by the arrow 14, the sub-hole is passed through the communication hole 8. The engine oil that has flowed out of the chamber 5 into the main chamber 4 is circulated through the throttle portion 13, the engine oil that flows through the throttle portion 13 is introduced into the sub chamber 5 through the thermostat valve 9, and the introduced engine oil is introduced into the suction port 6a. A circulation path for the engine oil sucked up from is formed.

  The function and operation of each part of the two-tank oil pan 1 configured as described above will be described along with changes in the state of engine oil.

  First, the engine oil in the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 is in a cold state before starting the engine that is not warm. At this stage, the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 are in communication with each other through the communication hole 8, and the height of the oil level is almost the same in the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5. When the engine is not warmed and the engine oil is cold, the thermostat valve 9 is closed, and there is almost no engine oil flowing between the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5. For this reason, the engine oil in both the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 is not mixed.

  When the engine is started from this state, the engine oil in the sub chamber 5 is sucked up from the suction port 6a of the oil strainer 6 and supplied into the engine block 7 from the upper part of the engine. The engine oil circulated in the engine block 7 drops again into the sub chamber 5. Thus, when the engine has not been warmed up and the engine oil has cooled, only the engine oil in the sub chamber 5 circulates in the engine block 7. In other words, since only a small amount of engine oil in the sub chamber 5 is circulated, the temperature of the engine oil can be raised quickly, and the friction of each part of the engine can be reduced. If the friction of each part of the engine is reduced, fuel consumption can be improved.

  Here, the two-tank type oil pan 1 of the present embodiment is attached to the lower surface side of the vehicle and is indicated by an arrow 12 in FIG. The vehicle is cooled by wind speed rectified by the vehicle. Such a cooling effect is advantageous for engine oil after completion of warm-up, as will be described later, but hinders temperature rise of engine oil during warm-up. However, in the two-tank oil pan 1 of the present embodiment, the thermostat valve 9 is closed during warm-up, and the oil in the throttle unit 13 does not flow, so the oil in the throttle unit 13 does not flow. It plays the role of a heat insulating material and can contribute to an early temperature rise of the engine oil in the sub chamber 5.

  As described above, if a small amount of engine oil in the sub chamber 5 is circulated, the engine oil can be raised in temperature early, and hence fuel efficiency can be improved. However, excessive engine oil temperature rise accelerates deterioration of the engine oil. This is not preferable. For this reason, when a certain temperature rise of the engine oil is achieved, the thermowax in the temperature sensing portion 9a of the thermostat valve 9 disposed in the sub chamber 5 is melted and expanded to open the valve body 9b. When the valve body 9b is opened, the engine oil in the main chamber 4 that has been cooled flows into the sub chamber 5 through the thermostat valve 9, and the engine oil that has flowed into the thermostat valve 9 enters the suction port 6a of the oil strainer 6. Since it is located in the vicinity, it is immediately sucked up from the suction port 6 a and circulates in the engine block 7. When the engine oil in the main chamber 4 flows into the sub chamber 5 through the thermostat valve 9 in this way, the engine oil that circulates in the engine block 7 and returns to the sub chamber 5 also passes through the communication hole 8. It will flow into the main room. If the circulation of the engine oil is continued for a while, the mixing of the engine oil in the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 is promoted, and the engine oil in the sub chamber 5 that has been heated up early is cooled appropriately. Therefore, the engine oil in both chambers rises to an appropriate temperature range without excessively raising the temperature.

  However, if the engine is continuously operated in a high load state, for example, the engine oil in the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 may be excessively heated even if the amount is the sum. In order to avoid such a tendency, it is desirable that the engine oil after completion of warm-up is appropriately cooled. The two-tank oil pan 1 of this embodiment is cooled by the vehicle speed wind indicated by the arrow 12 as described above. Moreover, since the two-tank type oil pan 1 of the present embodiment includes the cooling fins 2b on the lower surface of the oil pan 2, cooling is also promoted by this. Further, as described above, the two-tank oil pan 1 of the present embodiment has the bottom plate portion 2c of the oil pan 2 and the bottom plate portion 3a2 of the oil pan separator 3 as shown in FIG. A throttle portion 13 through which engine oil flows is provided, and cooling is promoted by circulating engine oil through the throttle portion 13.

  The principle of the cooling effect caused by circulating the throttle portion 13 will be described as follows. First, the heat dissipation amount of the oil pan 2 is basically greatly influenced by the area (heat dissipation area) of the outer periphery of the oil pan 2 where the vehicle speed wind hits. Are the same. Therefore, if the throttle part 13 is provided and the flow rate of the engine oil with respect to the heat radiation area of the oil pan 2 is reduced, the cooling efficiency can be increased. That is, if the diameter of the narrowed portion 13 is made small and the volume of the narrowed portion 13 is made small, the heat radiation area per unit volume becomes large and the cooling effect can be enhanced.

  Further, when such a throttle portion 13 is provided and the circulation path of the engine oil indicated by the arrow 14 is formed as described above, a stirring action is given over a wide range in the two-tank oil pan 1. Therefore, mixing of the engine oil in the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 can be promoted, and the cooling effect can be further enhanced.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The two-tank oil pan 20 of Example 2 and the two-tank oil pan 1 of Example 1 are thermostat valves 9 in which the open / close valve of the two-tank oil pan 1 uses thermowax for the temperature sensing portion 9a. On the other hand, the two-tank oil pan 20 of the second embodiment is different in that a thin bimetal valve 21 is used as an on-off valve. In addition, about another component, since it is the same as that of the two tank type oil pan of Example 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same component in drawing and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the bimetal valve 21 mounting portion in FIG. 5, with the cross section of the two-tank oil pan 20 of the second embodiment. The bimetal valve 21 is configured by attaching a valve body 21b formed by bonding two metal plates 21b1 and 21b2 having different thermal expansion coefficients to a frame 21a. Such a bimetal valve 21 has an advantage that it can be formed very thin as compared with the thermowax valve 9 of the first embodiment. In the two-layer oil pan 20 according to the second embodiment, the bimetal valve 21 is disposed directly below the suction port 6a of the oil strainer 6 by taking advantage of such advantages of the bimetal valve 21.

  In the two-tank oil pan 21 configured in this manner, when the engine warms up and the engine oil in the sub chamber 5 rises in temperature, the valve plates 21b1 and 21b2 have different thermal expansion coefficients. Is opened as shown in the figure. When the bimetal valve 21 is opened, the engine oil in the main chamber 4 passes through the throttle portion 13 and is cooled, and then flows into the sub chamber 5 through the bimetal valve 21. The cooled engine oil flowing into the sub chamber 5 is immediately sucked up from the suction port 6 a of the oil strainer 6 as indicated by an arrow 22. Further, when the bimetal valve 21 (open / close valve) is installed below the suction port 6a in this way, even if the bimetal valve 21 is not open and the flow of engine oil does not occur in the throttle portion 13, Since the high temperature engine oil is distributed upward and the low temperature engine oil is distributed downward, the low temperature engine oil can be actively sucked up from the suction port 6a even immediately after the bimetal valve 21 is released.

  Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The two-tank oil pan 30 of the third embodiment and the two-tank oil pan 1 of the first embodiment are an oil pan separator using a bolt 15 and a fastening member 16 as shown in FIG. 3 is different in that the two-tank oil pan 30 of the third embodiment can be mounted without using the bolt 15, the fastening member 16 and the like as shown in the drawing. In addition, about another component, since it is the same as that of the two tank type oil pan of Example 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same component in drawing and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Since the thermostat valve (open / close valve) 31 and the oil pan separator 3 are separate parts and cannot be integrally molded, a process of attaching the thermostat valve 31 to the oil pan separator 3 in the manufacturing process of the two-tank oil pan 30 is necessary. It becomes. The same applies to the two-tank oil pan 1 of the first embodiment. However, in the two-tank oil pan 1 of the first embodiment, the thermostat valve 9 is connected to the oil pan separator 3 by bolting using the fastening member 16. Was attached. However, when such bolting is performed, the number of parts increases and the number of processes during manufacturing also increases. Therefore, in the two-tank oil pan 30 of the third embodiment, the thermostat valve 31 is configured as follows.

  That is, the thermostat valve 31 has a seal portion 31e that is covered with a sealing material 32 having elasticity on the surrounding flange portion 31d. One oil pan separator 3 has an opening 33a communicating the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5, and a seal portion 31e fitted so that the thermostat valve 31 faces the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 from the opening 33a. And a fixing portion 33b. Here, as shown in FIG. 8, a groove 33b1 positioned around the opening 33a and a taper 33b2 continuous to the groove 33b1 are formed in the fixed portion 33b. As shown in FIG. 8, the tapered portion 33b2 has a small diameter on the groove portion 33b1 side.

  With such a configuration, the thermostat valve 31 can be attached to the oil pan separator 3 by fitting the seal portion 31e into the groove portion 33b1. For such mounting, the thermostat valve 31 may be pushed into the fixing portion 33b as indicated by an arrow 34 in FIG. At this time, the fixing portion 33b has a tapered portion 33b2 that has a smaller diameter as it approaches the groove portion 33b1, and the sealing material 32 that constitutes the sealing portion 31e has elasticity, so when the thermostat valve 31 is pushed in, The seal portion 31e abuts on the taper portion 33b2, and advances toward the groove portion 33b1 while deforming the seal material 32 due to its elasticity. When the seal portion 31e reaches the groove portion 33b1, the seal material 32 returns to its original shape, the seal portion 31e is fitted into the groove portion 33b1, and the mounting of the thermostat valve 31 to the oil pan separator 3 is completed.

As described above, in the two-tank oil pan 30 of the third embodiment, when the thermostat valve 30 is mounted on the oil pan separator 3, the step of bolting is not required as in the two-tank oil pan 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the manufacturing time can be shortened. Moreover, if it is set as such a structure, the number of parts can be reduced and the energy consumed in order to warm the parts around the thermostat valve 31 can be reduced.
In the two-tank oil pan 30 of the third embodiment, the thermostat valve 31 side seat portion 31e is fitted in the fixing portion 33b side, that is, the groove portion 33b1 provided on the oil pan separator 3 side. A groove may be provided around the periphery of the opening, and the periphery of the opening provided in the oil pan separator 3 may be fitted into the groove.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The two-tank oil pan 40 of the fourth embodiment and the two-tank oil pan 1 of the first embodiment are an oil pan separator that uses the bolt 15 and the fastening member 16 as shown in FIG. 3 is different in that the two-tank oil pan 40 of the fourth embodiment can be mounted without using the bolt 15, the fastening member 16 and the like as shown in the figure. In addition, about another component, since it is the same as that of the two tank type oil pan of Example 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same component in drawing and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The two-tank oil pan 1 according to the first embodiment has a configuration in which the oil drain 2a is provided only in the outer oil pan 2, so that the engine oil in the sub chamber 5 is sufficiently heated when the engine oil is changed. Then, it is necessary to drain the engine oil in the sub chamber 5 after the thermostat valve 9 is opened.

  9 shows an overall cross section, and FIG. 10 shows an oil drain 2 and an oil pan separator 3, respectively, like a two-tank oil pan 60 in which a portion where the drain plug 61 is mounted is enlarged. It is conceivable to use a drain plug 61 provided with 2a and 3b and provided with a plug 61a for closing the oil drain 2a provided in the oil pan separator 3. With such a configuration, the engine oil in the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 can be extracted by removing the drain plug 61.

  By the way, when it is set as the structure of the two-tank type oil pan 1 of Example 1 or the two-tank type oil pan 60 shown in FIG. The two-tank oil pan 1 (60) must be removed from the engine block 7 when the thermostat valve 9 is located on the inside and some abnormality occurs and the thermostat valve 9 needs to be inspected or replaced. I must.

  Therefore, in the two-tank oil pan 40 of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the thermostat valve 42 is disposed so as to face the main chamber 4 (throttle portion 13) and the sub chamber 5 from the opening 3 c provided in the oil pan separator 3. Then, it is supported by a drain plug 43 that is screwed into an oil drain 2 a provided in the oil pan 2. At this time, the thermostat valve 42 is not fixed to the oil pan separator 3 but only supported by the drain plug 43.

  That is, the drain plug 43 is provided with a support base 43a having a recess 43a1 with which an end 42a located on the main chamber 4 side of the thermostat valve 42 abuts, and a thermostat valve 42 having a sealed flange 42b on the periphery. Is attached to the oil drain 2a in a state where the flange 42b is supported so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the oil pan separator 3.

  Here, the diameter of the thermostat valve 42, that is, the diameter φA of the flange 42b is smaller than the diameter φB of the oil drain 2a as shown in FIG. With such a configuration, by removing the drain plug 43, the thermostat valve 42 disposed inside the oil pan 2 can be taken out through the oil drain 2a. This makes it possible to easily inspect and replace the thermostat valve 42 without removing the two-tank oil pan 40 from the engine block 7.

  Although the thermostat valve 42 according to the fourth embodiment is separate from the drain plug 43, the thermostat valve 42 and the drain plug 43 may be fixed. This is convenient because the thermostat valve 42 can be taken out simultaneously when the drain plug 43 is removed.

  Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the two-tank oil pan of the present invention, immediately after the cold start, the oil pan is divided into a plurality of compartments (main chamber 4 and sub chamber 5) in order to raise the temperature of the engine oil as soon as possible and to have an appropriate viscosity. Immediately after the cold start, engine oil in one compartment (sub chamber 5) is easily circulated, and the engine oil in this compartment is heated earlier, while The engine oil is intended to be in a preferable state by avoiding overheating of the engine oil. For this reason, it is desirable that the mixing ratio of the engine oil in the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 is gradually increased as the warm-up proceeds so that an appropriate temperature state is maintained. In order to gradually increase the mixing ratio of the engine oil in the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 as the warm-up progresses in this way, the area of the opening communicating the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 is gradually increased. It is conceivable to increase the amount of low-temperature engine oil flowing from the main chamber 4 into the sub chamber 5.

Therefore, in the two-tank oil pan of the fifth embodiment, a plurality of thermostat valves 46, 47, and 48 having different operating temperatures are attached to the bottom of the oil pan separator 3, and the main chamber 4 and the auxiliary chamber 4 are connected in accordance with the progress of warm-up. The mixing ratio of the engine oil in the chamber 5 is changed. Among the plurality of thermostat valves 46, 47, 48, the thermostat valves 46, 47 open as the warm-up progresses, that is, as the temperature of the engine oil in the sub chamber 5 increases. Also, the operating temperature of the thermostat valve 47 is high. Accordingly, when the temperature of the engine oil in the sub chamber 5 rises, the thermostat valve 46 is opened first. After that, when the temperature rises further, the thermostat valve 47 opens and the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 communicate with each other. The area of the opening to be increased is increased, and the amount of low-temperature engine oil flowing from the main chamber 4 into the sub chamber 5 is increased.
On the other hand, the thermostat valve 48 is configured to close when the temperature of the engine oil in the sub chamber 5 increases. This is a measure that takes into account the very high viscosity of the engine oil when the engine is started at extremely low temperatures. That is, if only engine oil having a very high viscosity in the sub chamber 5 is circulated at the beginning of the engine start, the engine oil does not return to the sub chamber 5 from the engine block 7 side, and the engine in the sub chamber 5 There may be a situation where oil is insufficient. Therefore, the thermostat valve 48 circulates between the main chamber 4 and the sub chamber 5 at an extremely low temperature so as to avoid a shortage of circulating engine oil.

  The above-described embodiments are merely examples for carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to them. Various modifications of these embodiments are within the scope of the present invention. It is apparent from the above description that various other embodiments are possible within the scope.

It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the conventional 2 tank type oil pan. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a two-tank oil pan of Example 1. FIG. It is a side view of the oil pan separator which comprises the two tank type oil pan shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing to which the part which attached the thermostat valve in the two tank type oil pan shown in FIG. 2 to the oil pan separator was expanded. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a two-tank oil pan of Example 2. FIG. It is sectional drawing to which the part which attached the bimetal valve to the oil pan separator in the two tank type oil pan shown in FIG. 5 was expanded. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a two-tank oil pan of Example 3. FIG. It is sectional drawing to which the part which attaches the thermostat valve in the two-tank type oil pan shown in FIG. 7 to an oil pan separator was expanded, (a) shows before attachment, (b) shows after attachment. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the two tank type oil pan which can extract the engine oil of a main chamber and a subchamber by removing one drain plug. FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a portion where a drain plug is mounted in the two-tank oil pan shown in FIG. 9. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a two-tank oil pan of Example 4. FIG. FIG. 12 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a portion where a thermostat valve in the two-tank oil pan shown in FIG. 11 is mounted on an oil pan separator. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a bottom portion of an oil pan separator attached to a two-tank oil pan of Example 5. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1, 20, 30, 40, 50 Two-tank oil pan 2, 52 Oil pan 2b Cooling fin 3, 51 Oil pan separator 3a, 51a Recess 3a2 Bottom plate portion 4 Main chamber 5 Sub chamber 6 Strainer 6a Suction port 7 Engine block 8 Communication hole 9, 31, 42, 46, 47, 48 Thermostat valve 10, 43, 61 Drain plug 11 Under cover 13 Throttle part 15 Bolt 16 Fastening member 21 Bimetal valve 31d flange 31e Seal part 32 Seal material 33a Opening 33b Fixing part 33b1 Groove 33b2 Taper

Claims (13)

An oil pan separator is provided in the oil pan for partitioning into a sub chamber in which the suction port is disposed and a main chamber in which the suction port is not disposed, and the oil pan separator has a recess that forms the sub chamber, and the sub chamber Is communicated with the interior of the engine block, and the recess is a two-tank oil pan having a communication hole for communicating the main chamber and the sub chamber.
A two-tank oil, characterized in that an open / close valve that communicates or isolates the main chamber and the sub chamber by opening and closing according to the temperature in the sub chamber is provided in a bottom plate portion of the oil pan separator. Bread. The two-tank oil pan according to claim 1, wherein the on-off valve is a thermostat valve. The two-tank oil pan according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the on-off valve is provided at a position facing the suction port. The throttle part which the engine oil in the said main chamber distribute | circulates by making the bottom plate part of the said oil pan and the bottom plate part of the said oil pan separator approach was provided. Two tank oil pan. 5. The two-tank oil pan according to claim 4, wherein the communication hole is provided in a side wall of the recess, and the engine oil that has flowed out from the sub chamber to the main chamber through the communication hole is circulated to the throttle unit. The two-tank oil pan is characterized in that the engine oil flowing through is introduced into the sub chamber through the on-off valve, and the introduced engine oil is sucked up from the suction port. 6. The two-tank oil pan according to claim 5, wherein the communication hole is provided in an upper portion of a side wall of the recess. The two-tank type oil pan according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a cooling fin is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the oil pan. 2. The oil pan separator according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing valve has a thickness that can be disposed below the suction port, and the opening / closing valve is provided on the oil pan separator so as to be positioned below the suction port. The two-tank type oil pan as described in any one of Claims 7. 9. The two-tank oil pan according to claim 8, wherein the on-off valve having a thickness that can be disposed below the suction port is a bimetal valve. A seal portion provided with a seal material around the on-off valve;
The oil pan separator has an opening for communicating the main chamber and the sub chamber, and a fixing portion for fitting the seal portion so that the on-off valve faces the main chamber and the sub chamber from the opening. A two-tank oil pan according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The two-tank oil pan according to claim 10, wherein a collar is provided around the on-off valve and the collar is covered with a sealing material to form the seal.
The two-tank oil is characterized in that the fixing portion is formed with a groove portion which is located around the opening and into which the seal portion is fitted, and a tapered portion which is continuous with the groove portion and has a small diameter on the groove portion side. Bread. A drain plug in which the oil pan separator is provided with an opening for communicating the main chamber and the sub chamber, the open / close valve is disposed so as to face the main chamber and the sub chamber from the opening, and the open / close valve is attached to the oil pan. The two-tank oil pan according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the two-tank oil pan is supported by. The two-tank oil pan according to claim 12, wherein the diameter of the on-off valve is smaller than the diameter of an oil drain provided in the oil pan.

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