JP2006342773A - Intake manifold - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To compatibly establish easy correspondences to design changes for securing dimension accuracy and reducing cost while using a metal pipe for a branch pipe of an intake manifold and keeping a collector and a flange part as separate members. <P>SOLUTION: In an intake manifold which consists of a plurality of branch pipes 11 forming an air passage part, the flange part 12 making one end of the branch pipe 11 connect to a cylinder head of an engine, and the collector part 13 having another end of the branch pipe 11 connected, one or both of the collector part 13 and the flange part 12, and the branch pipe 11 made of the metal pipe have an integrated structure by insert forming. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an intake manifold used for an automobile engine, and more particularly to an intake manifold in which a pipe body portion, a flange portion, and a collector portion are made of different materials.

  FIG. 8 is a view showing a conventional aluminum die-cast intake manifold. In this intake manifold, a plurality of branch pipes 1, a collector part 2, and a flange part 3 for fixing the branch pipes 1 to the engine are integrated.

  In the conventional intake manifold, a cast product having a monolithic structure is generally used. However, the manufacturing cost of the mold is very expensive, and it is difficult to cope with the design change.

  Therefore, in recent years, the intake manifold branch tube 1, the collector part 2, and the flange part 3 are made as separate parts, and the intake manifold is assembled from these parts.

  As this type of intake manifold, for example, a flange part and a collector part are made of cast aluminum, a steel pipe is used as a branch pipe, and a flange part and a collector part are joined to the branch pipe by zinc solder (patent) Reference 1).

In addition, aluminum castings are used for each part of the branch pipe, flange part, and collector part, these are fitted together, the fitting part is joined by medium frequency induction heating, and then cooled and shrink-fitted. Known (Patent Document 2).
JP-A-9-177623 Japanese Patent No. 2667966

  Intake manifolds such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are divided into several parts, so that there is an advantage that the cost can be greatly reduced and design changes can be easily made as compared with an integrally cast product.

  However, after the parts are assembled, they must be joined by welding or brazing. And an error due to assembly is inevitably generated. In addition, there is a problem that thermal deformation occurs during joining and it is difficult to ensure dimensional accuracy. From the viewpoint of dimensional accuracy, in the case of a monolithic cast product, a product with much higher accuracy can be obtained and has an advantage. As described above, in the case of the integrally cast product and the joined part, one advantage becomes the other defect.

  Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art, use a metal pipe for the branch pipe of the intake manifold, and ensure the dimensional accuracy and reduce the cost while using a collector and a flange part as separate members. An object of the present invention is to provide an intake manifold that can easily cope with design changes.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention combines a plurality of branch pipes forming an air passage part, a flange part connecting one end of the branch pipe to an engine cylinder head, and the other end of the branch pipe. In the intake manifold including the collector portion, both or one of the collector and the flange portion, and the branch tube including the metal tube have an integral structure formed by insert molding.

  The present invention also provides an intake manifold comprising a plurality of branch pipes forming an air passage part, a flange part for connecting one end of the branch pipe to a cylinder head of an engine, and a collector part for connecting the other end of the branch pipe. In the above, the branch pipe made of a metal pipe having flare portions at both ends, a flange portion having a hole into which one end portion of the branch pipe is fitted, and a collector having a hole into which the other end portion of the branch pipe is fitted And a retainer member for fixing the flange portion and the collector portion to the branch pipe via the flare portion, respectively.

Further, the present invention provides an intake manifold comprising a plurality of branch pipes forming an air passage part, a flange part connecting one end of the branch pipe to a cylinder head of an engine, and a collector part connecting the other end of the branch pipe. In
The branch pipe made of a metal tube having a flared portion at both ends, a flange portion having a hole in which one end of the branch pipe is fitted by an interference fit, and the other end of the branch tube is fitted by an interference fit And a collector part having holes.

  According to the present invention, the metal pipe is used as the branch pipe of the intake manifold, and the collector part and the flange part are made as separate members, but the dimensional accuracy is ensured because the flange part and the collector part are molded. On the other hand, it is possible to achieve both low-cost and easy-to-change design of the branch pipe. Further, although the branch pipe, the collector portion, and the flange portion are separate members, it is not necessary to perform joining by welding or brazing, and assembly errors can be reduced by a mechanical joining structure.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an intake manifold according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First Embodiment FIG. 1 shows an intake manifold according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates the whole intake manifold.

  The intake manifold 10 has four branch pipes 11 forming an air passage portion. A flange portion 12 is connected to one end of these branch pipes 11, and this flange portion 12 is attached to a cylinder head of the engine. A collector portion 13 coupled to the other end of the branch pipe 11 is attached to the collector tank.

  In this embodiment, a metal pipe is used for the branch pipe 11. This metal tube may be a straight tube bent into a required shape, or a metal plate is used as a material, and it is formed into a semi-cylinder shape by pressing, and this is joined to the tube shape by welding. You may use what you did. A flare portion 14 is formed on both ends of the branch pipe 11 so as to project outwardly in a flange shape.

  On the other hand, the flange part 12 and the collector part 13 are resin parts molded by injection molding in this embodiment. And joining of these flange parts 12, the collector part 13, and the branch pipe | tube 11 is performed simultaneously with shaping | molding.

  In the mold used for injection molding, cavities corresponding to the product shapes of the flange portion 12 and the collector portion 13 are formed, and the branch pipe 11 is used as an insert to be put into the mold. The branch pipe 11 has a flare portion 14 processed in advance.

In this way, by using the branch pipe 11 as an insert, the flange portion 12 and the collector portion 13 can be formed and the integrated structure of these and the collector portion 13 can be simultaneously performed. By the injection molding, the flare portion 14 adheres to the resin at the end portion of the branch pipe 11, and the flange portion 12 and the collector portion 13 are prevented from coming off.
As described above, according to the intake manifold 10 according to the present embodiment, an integral structure of the flange portion 12 and the collector portion 13 and the branch pipe 11 is realized by using a mold having the branch pipe 11 as an insert. Precise dimensional accuracy can be ensured because of injection molding using a mold. On the other hand, it is necessary to match the bent shape and length of the branch pipe 11 to the engine in order to correspond to various engines targeted by the intake manifold. However, since the branch pipe 11 itself uses a machined metal pipe. It is easy to respond to design changes flexibly and without cost.

Second Embodiment Next, an intake manifold according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a joint portion between the branch pipe 11 and the flange portion 20 in the intake manifold according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 2, the junction structure with the collector portion 13 is the same, so the collector portion is omitted.
In the second embodiment, a metal pipe is used for the branch pipe 11 as in the first embodiment. However, the flare portions 14 that protrude outwardly at both ends of the branch pipe 11 are different in that they are bent at the time of assembly.
The flange portion 20 is the same in that it is made of resin as in the first embodiment, but is separately prepared as a component. A retainer member 22 is used as a component combined with the flange portion 20. The retainer member 22 is a ring-shaped resin part, and is formed such that the protrusion 23 goes around the upper surface (see FIG. 3). A hole 24 having a diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the branch pipe 11 is formed in the flange portion 20. An annular groove 25 is formed concentrically with the hole 24 on the bottom surface of the flange portion 20, and the retainer member 22 is fitted in the annular groove 25.

  As shown in FIG. 3, if one end of the branch pipe 11 is inserted into the hole 24 of the flange portion 20 and then the flare processing is applied to the pipe end of the branch pipe 11, the flare portion 14 is thereby formed. Then, the retainer member 22 can be welded by fitting the retainer member 22 into the annular groove 25 and melting the protrusion 23 by applying ultrasonic waves.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the branch pipe 11 made of a metal pipe, the resin flange portion 20 and the collector portion 13 which are injection molded products are used, and the flange portion 20 and the collector portion 13 are connected to the retainer member. Since the integrated structure fitted to the branch pipe 11 is realized by using 22, it is possible to ensure both accurate dimensional accuracy and ease of design change of the branch pipe 11. In addition, unlike conventional products that require welding and brazing, there is no need for joining by welding or brazing, so accurate assembly can be performed by a mechanical joining structure.

  Next, FIG. 4 shows another example of the joining structure of the branch pipe 11 and the flange portion 20 in the intake manifold according to the second embodiment.

  4, instead of the annular groove 25 shown in FIG. 3, an annular groove 26 having a diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the flare portion 14 and having a screw formed on the inner periphery is formed on the bottom surface of the flange portion 20. It is formed concentrically with the hole 24. As the retainer member, a retainer member 27 that is screwed into the annular groove 26 with a screw is used. When the retainer member 27 is a screw type, an O-ring 28 is provided between the step portion of the annular groove 26 and the flare portion 14 in order to supplement the sealing performance.

  In the case of the joining structure as described above, one end of the branch pipe 11 is inserted into the hole 24 of the flange portion 20, and then the flare processing is applied to the pipe end of the branch pipe 11, and then the retainer member 27 is tightened. .

  Next, FIG. 5 shows another example of the joining structure of the branch pipe 11 and the flange portion 20 in the intake manifold according to the second embodiment.

  In FIG. 5, the resin 29 is poured into the groove 25, thereby replacing the retainer member 22. In this case, an adhesive may be filled instead of the resin 29.

Third Embodiment Next, FIG. 6 shows an intake manifold according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a joint portion between the branch pipe 11 and the flange portion 20 in the intake manifold according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 6, the junction structure is the same, so the collector portion is omitted.
In the third embodiment, the branch pipe 11 is a metal pipe as in the first embodiment. However, in the vicinity of the pipe end of the branch pipe 11, a convex part 30 that circulates in order to mount the O-ring 28 is formed.

  The flange portion 20 is the same in that it is made of resin separately molded by injection molding as in the second embodiment. A hole 32 is formed in the flange portion 20, and in the case of scraping, a step is formed in the hole 32 so that the O ring 28 does not fall off.

  In the present embodiment, the branch pipe 11 is press-fitted into the hole 30 using the O-ring 28 to be joined to the flange portion 20. For this reason, the relationship between the outer diameter of the O-ring 28 and the diameter of the hole 32 is set to a dimension that allows for a tightening allowance.

  The joint structure shown in FIG. 7 is the same as the press-fitting type in the same manner as in FIG. 6 except that the flare portion 14 is caulked and the groove 33 formed in the inner peripheral surface of the hole 32 has an O ring 28. 6 is different from FIG.

  According to the third embodiment as described above, it is possible to join the branch pipe 11 to the flange portion 20 and the collector portion only by press-fitting, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to achieve both precise dimensional accuracy and ease of design change for the branch pipe 11, and unlike conventional products that are essential for welding and brazing, joining by welding and brazing is possible. Since there is no need to do this, accurate assembly can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

  As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments in which the flange portion and the collector portion are made of resin. However, in the second embodiment and the third embodiment, the present invention is made by die casting the flange portion and the collector. It is possible to use metal parts such as pressed products.

Sectional drawing which shows the intake manifold by 1st Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the intake manifold by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the assembly order of the intake manifold by 2nd Embodiment by this invention. Sectional drawing of the other joining structure example of a branch pipe and a flange part in the intake manifold by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing of the further another joining structure example of a branch pipe and a flange part in the intake manifold by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the assembly order of the intake manifold by 3rd Embodiment by this invention. Sectional drawing of the other joining structure example of a branch pipe and a flange part in the intake manifold by 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the conventional intake manifold.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Intake manifold 11 Branch pipe 12 Flange part 13 Collector part 14 Flare part 20 Flange part 22 Retainer member 24 Hole 25 Annular groove 26 Annular groove 27 Retainer member 28 O-ring 30 Protruding part 32 Hole

Claims (10)

In an intake manifold comprising a plurality of branch pipes forming an air passage part, a flange part connecting one end of the branch pipe to a cylinder head of an engine, and a collector part connecting the other end of the branch pipe,
An intake manifold characterized in that both or one of the collector and the flange portion and the branch pipe made of a metal pipe have an integral structure formed by insert molding.   The intake manifold according to claim 1, wherein a flare portion is formed at each end of the branch pipe.   The intake manifold according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both or one of the flange portion and the collector portion is made of resin. In an intake manifold comprising a plurality of branch pipes forming an air passage part, a flange part connecting one end of the branch pipe to a cylinder head of an engine, and a collector part connecting the other end of the branch pipe,
The branch pipe made of a metal tube having a flare portion at both ends, a flange portion having a hole into which one end portion of the branch pipe is fitted, and a collector portion having a hole into which the other end portion of the branch pipe is fitted An intake manifold comprising a retainer member for fixing the flange portion and the collector portion to the branch pipe via the flare portion, respectively.   5. The intake manifold according to claim 4, wherein the retainer member is fitted in annular grooves formed in the bottom portions of the flange portion and the collector portion, respectively, and welded by ultrasonic welding.   The intake manifold according to claim 4, wherein the retainer member has a screw that is screwed into an annular groove formed in a bottom portion of the flange portion and the collector portion. In an intake manifold comprising a plurality of branch pipes forming an air passage part, a flange part connecting one end of the branch pipe to a cylinder head of an engine, and a collector part connecting the other end of the branch pipe,
The branch pipe made of a metal tube having a flared portion at both ends, a flange portion having a hole in which one end of the branch pipe is fitted by an interference fit, and the other end of the branch tube is fitted by an interference fit An intake manifold comprising a collector portion having a hole.   The both end portions of the branch pipe are press-fitted between the respective peripheral walls of the holes of the flange portion and the collector portion and both end portions of the branch pipe with an O-ring interposed therebetween. Intake manifold. In an intake manifold comprising a plurality of branch pipes forming an air passage part, a flange part connecting one end of the branch pipe to a cylinder head of an engine, and a collector part connecting the other end of the branch pipe,
An intake manifold, wherein both ends of the branch pipe made of a metal pipe are fitted into a flange portion and a collector portion, respectively, and flare portions for retaining are formed at both ends by caulking. In an intake manifold manufacturing method comprising a plurality of branch pipes forming an air passage part, a flange part connecting one end of the branch pipe to a cylinder head of an engine, and a collector part connecting the other end of the branch pipe,
A metal pipe is used for the branch pipe, the metal pipe is used as an insert in a mold for molding the flange portion and the collector, the collector and the flange portion are insert-molded, and integrally joined to the branch pipe. A manufacturing method of a featured intake manifold.

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