JP2007192263A - Balancer device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a balancer device enabling an airtightness test for an oil passage without lowering working efficiency even if an oil groove for lubricating bearing parts and an oil passage for supplying or discharging a lubricating oil to and from the oil groove are formed in a same housing. <P>SOLUTION: This balancer device is composed of an upper housing 2 and a lower housing 3. The balancer device comprises two first and second shafts 4, 5 and bearing parts 6 formed between both housings and pivotally supporting the shafts. The oil groove 15 for circulating the lubricating oil to the bearing parts 6 is formed in the joining surface 10 of the lower housing. A relief passage 13 for releasing the lubricating oil from a supply passage 11 for supplying the lubricating oil to each part of an engine is formed in the joining surface of the lower housing. Also, a communication groove 18 for circulating the lubricating oil into the oil groove is formed in the joining surface 9 of the upper housing in which the bypass passage 12 allowing the supply passage to communicate with the relief passage is formed to communicate the oil groove with the bypass passage. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a balancer device that is provided, for example, in an internal combustion engine of a vehicle and can ensure vibration resistance.

  As a conventional balancer device provided in an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, for example, a device described in Patent Document 1 below has been proposed.

  The balancer device includes a balancer housing composed of an upper housing and a lower housing that are divided into upper and lower parts, a balancer shaft that is rotatably provided in the balancer housing and has a balancer weight, and a plurality that supports the balancer shaft. And a bearing portion.

  The upper housing has an oil groove notched along a joint surface to be joined to the lower housing, and is widened at a part of the oil groove that extends along the axial direction of the balancer shaft. An upper axial oil groove is formed, and the lubricating oil is supplied to the bearing portion through the oil groove.

On the other hand, the lower housing is formed in substantially the same shape as the upper axial oil groove at a position facing the upper axial oil groove on the joint surface to be joined to the upper housing, and is integrated with the upper axial oil groove. And has a lower axial oil groove that forms one axial oil passage, and extends in a substantially vertical direction from the joint surface at a position facing the terminal portion of the oil groove, A drill hole through which the lubricating oil flows out of the balancer housing is provided.
JP 2003-129814 A

  However, in the balancer device, the oil groove and the drill hole may have to be formed on the joint surface of the lower housing due to layout restrictions or the like. In this case, since the oil groove formed on the joint surface of the same lower housing and the drill hole are in communication with each other, when performing an airtight test for quality assurance of the drill hole, simply If the compressed air is filled from the downstream side of the drill hole only by closing the open end of the drill hole, the pressure of the air in the drill hole escapes to the oil groove, and the airtightness in the drill hole is reduced. There was a problem that the sex test could not be performed.

  Therefore, when performing such an airtightness test, for example, as shown in FIG. 12A, a part of the oil groove 41 connected to the communication groove 42 is formed into the shape of the oil groove 41. 44 is inserted into the oil groove 41, and the aluminum plate 45 to which the thin plate-like rubber 45 a is attached is further connected to the opening of the drill hole 43 provided in the joint surface 40 a of the lower housing 40 and the communication groove 42. To cover. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12B, the sealing rubber 44 seals the oil groove 41 in the vicinity of the communication groove 42 and the aluminum plate 45 closes the opening end 43a and the communication groove 42 of the drill hole 43. In this state, the leak is determined by filling compressed air from the other end of the drill hole 43 outside the drawing.

  However, in this case, there are many seal portions on the joint surface of the lower housing 40, and the seal portion also has a complicated shape along with the groove shape of the oil groove 41. The workability of the airtightness test of the drill hole 43 is significantly deteriorated. As a result, there has been a problem in that the manufacturing cost increases as the workability decreases.

  The present invention has been devised by paying attention to such a technical problem, and includes an oil groove for circulating the lubricating oil, and an oil passage communicating with the oil groove and supplying or discharging the lubricating oil. Is provided on the same joint surface of one housing, for example, the joint surface of the lower housing, to provide a balancer device capable of performing an air tightness test of an oil passage without deteriorating workability. is there.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a balancer housing including an upper housing and a lower housing, a balancer shaft rotatably accommodated in the balancer housing and having a balance weight, and a joint surface between the upper housing and the lower housing. A plurality of bearing portions each bearing the balancer shaft; an oil groove provided on one side of each joint surface of the upper housing and the lower housing and communicating between the bearing portions; An oil passage that opens in the upper housing or the lower housing provided with a groove and is spaced from the oil groove, and is formed in the upper housing or the lower housing that is not provided with the oil groove. A communication groove that communicates the oil groove and the oil passage. To have.

  According to the present invention, the oil groove and the oil passage formed on the same joint surface are separated from each other by providing the oil groove and the oil passage in one housing and providing the communication groove in the other housing. Therefore, if only the opening end of the oil passage is sealed by the sealing member, the pressure in the oil passage will not escape to the oil groove during the air tightness test of the oil passage.

  Thereby, even if the oil groove and the oil passage are formed on the same joint surface, complicated work using a plurality of seal members is eliminated in the airtightness test, and workability is reduced. The test can be performed.

  The second aspect of the invention is the same as that of the first aspect of the invention, and in particular is provided at a position that is open to both the upper housing and the lower housing and is close to and spaced from the oil groove. And a communication groove that is formed in the upper housing or the lower housing not provided with the oil groove and communicates the oil groove with the oil passage.

  According to this invention, even if the oil passage is formed in both the upper housing and the lower housing, the oil groove and the communication groove are formed on different housings, and the oil passage and the oil groove are formed. Therefore, the same effect as that of the invention of claim 1 can be obtained in the airtightness test of the oil passage.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the same as the invention according to claim 1, and in particular, opens to the upper housing or the lower housing provided with the oil groove, and is separated from the oil groove. An oil passage provided at a position, and a communication portion that communicates the oil groove and the oil passage via the upper housing or the lower housing in which the oil groove is not formed. .

  According to this invention, the oil groove and the oil passage and the communication portion are formed on different housings, and the oil groove and the oil passage are communicated with each other via the communication portion. Since the oil groove and the oil passage are in a separated state, the same effect as that of the invention of claim 1 can be obtained in the air tightness test of the oil passage.

  Embodiments of a balancer device according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, this balancer device is applied to a vehicle engine.

  This balancer device plays a role of reducing secondary vibration of the engine caused by the reciprocating motion of the piston, and as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, on the lower surface of the cylinder block 20 of the engine, An upper oil pan 1 which is a balancer housing which is molded by an aluminum alloy material and constitutes a part of the oil pan 21, and a lower oil (not shown) which is provided at the lower portion of the upper oil pan 1 and stores lubricating oil therein. Bread is arranged.

  The upper oil pan 1 is composed of an upper housing 2 and a lower housing 3 which are divided into upper and lower parts, and both the housings 2 and 3 are connected by a plurality of bolts 22 screwed from below.

  1 and 9, the upper oil pan 1 is a balancer shaft provided in a sandwiched state between the upper housing 2 and the lower housing 3 and arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the engine. The first shaft 4 and the second shaft 5 are accommodated.

  Each of the shafts 4 and 5 is provided with annular first diameter portions 4a and 4a and second journal portions 5a and 5a which are provided at predetermined intervals on the front end side in the axial direction. The bearings 6 are rotatably supported.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, each of the first and second shafts 4 and 5 has a substantially half cross section along the axial direction between the first journal portions 4a and 4a and the second journal portions 5a and 5a. Circular balancer weights 7a and 7b are integrally formed, and helical gears 23a and 23b meshed with each other are provided on the rear end side.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the first shaft 4 receives a rotational driving force from a crankshaft 26 via a drive chain 25 wound around a balancer sprocket 24 fixed to the front end side, and the helical gears 23a, The second shaft 5 is rotated via a 23b.

  The shafts 4 and 5 are set so as to rotate twice with respect to one rotation of the crankshaft 26, and reversely rotate with each other by the helical gears 23a and 23b so as to cancel the secondary vibration of the engine. It has become.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the helical gears 23a and 23b are restricted from moving in the thrust direction by thrust receiving portions 27a and 27b formed in the lower housing 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the bearing 6 is provided in a semicircular shape on the joint surface 9 of the upper housing 2 and the joint surface 10 of the lower housing 3, and the plain bearing 8 is provided in a sandwiched state. ing.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the bearings 6 are provided at approximately four central positions on the joint surfaces 9 and 10 of the housings 2 and 3 provided in a rectangular frame shape, respectively. Thus, two sets are provided in parallel, with two places provided at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the engine as one set.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the plain bearing 8 is formed in an annular half shape made of a metal, and is connected to the outer peripheral side and the inner peripheral side at a substantially central position in the width direction along the circumferential direction. Lubricating holes 8a are formed penetrating in the radial direction.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, an oil pump 28 for sucking lubricating oil from the oil pan 21 is provided on the front end side of the second shaft 5. The oil pump 28 is a trochoid pump, the front end of the second shaft 5 is configured as a pump shaft 5b, and an inner rotor 28a is fixed to the outer periphery of the pump shaft 5b. The plurality of inner teeth of the outer rotor 28b mesh with the outer teeth, the rotors 28a and 28b rotate, and the volume in the gap between the tooth portions of the rotors 28a and 28b is continuously changed to provide a pump action. I am in charge.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, the oil pump 28 is provided in the lower housing 3 via an oil strainer 29 provided on the bottom wall of the lower housing 3 when the second shaft 5 rotates. The lubricating oil in the oil pan 21 is sucked into a suction port (not shown), and the discharged lubricating oil is pumped to each part in the engine via the main oil gallery 30.

  In the upper housing 2, as shown in FIG. 1, a supply passage 11 is formed which communicates a main oil gallery 30 with a discharge port (not shown) for discharging lubricating oil from the oil pump 28. An oil cooler and an oil filter (not shown) are arranged in the middle of the supply passage 11.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a bypass passage 12 branched from the supply passage 11 is provided in the upper housing 2, while the bypass passage 12 and the bypass housing 12 are provided in the lower housing 3. A relief passage 13 to be connected is provided, and a series of oil passages are formed by these.

  The relief passage 13 is formed such that the diameter of the end connected to the bypass passage 12 is slightly larger than the diameter of the bypass passage 12. As shown, a relief valve 14 is disposed.

  The relief valve 14 is a check valve formed in an inclined shape with a predetermined angle in the vicinity of the oil pump 28 of the lower housing 3, and when the upstream side of the oil cooler is at a predetermined pressure or higher, The relief passage 13 is opened so that lubricating oil flows directly into the main oil gallery 30 without passing through the oil cooler or the like.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower housing 3 is formed with a series of oil grooves 15 through which lubricating oil flows along the joint surface 10 and the support surface of the bearing portion 6 on the lower housing 3 side. ing.

  The oil groove 15 is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section at a substantially central position in the width direction of the joint surface 10, and avoids the bolt insertion hole 3 a through which the bolt 22 is inserted, and the upper portion of the oil strainer 29. It is provided in a U shape excluding one side.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5, the lower housing 3 is provided with a supply hole 16 on the oil groove 15 closest to the relief passage 13.

  The supply hole 16 is provided to be deviated toward the relief passage 13 with respect to the oil groove 15, has a diameter larger than the groove width of the oil groove 15, and has a depth larger than that of the oil groove 15. It is formed slightly deep.

  Further, the supply hole 16 is closer to the relief passage 13 side than the oil groove 15, that is, at the boundary between the inner peripheral surface of the relief passage 13 side and the joining surface 10, and closer to the relief passage 13 side. A convex bent portion 17 that is gently bent toward the opening is formed, and is provided so as to expand in a trumpet shape from the bottom surface side toward the opening side.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, a communication groove 18 that connects the bypass passage 12 and the supply hole 16 is formed in the joint surface 9 of the upper housing 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the communication groove 18 has a groove depth shallower than that of the supply hole 16 and is provided perpendicular to the bypass passage 12. Further, the communication groove 18 is provided with an introduction portion 19 in which the opening area of the groove is enlarged at a position facing the supply hole 16.

  The introduction portion 19 is formed in a hole shape whose inner surface is a concave curved surface, and is provided so as to expand from the bottom surface side toward the opening side.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, the communication groove 18 is formed with a widened portion 18 a that gradually widens toward the introduction portion 19 side at the boundary with the introduction portion 19, and A widened portion 18b that gradually widens toward the bypass passage 12 side is also formed at the boundary with the bypass passage 12.

  The operation of the balancer device of this embodiment will be described below.

  The balancer device sucks lubricating oil from the oil pan 21 by the oil pump 28, supplies the lubricating oil to the supply passage 11 in the upper housing 2, cools it through the oil cooler, and the oil filter. And filtered through the main oil gallery 30 and part of the lubricating oil flows into the communication groove 18 through the bypass passage 12.

  Each of the bearings flows into the supply hole 16 from the communication groove 18 through the introduction portion 19 and branches from the supply hole 16 to the front end side and the rear end side of the engine while flowing in the oil groove 15. It flows into the support surface of the part 6.

  On the support surface of each bearing portion 6, between each inner peripheral surface of the plain bearing 8 and each outer peripheral surface of the journal portions 4 a, 5 a of the shafts 4, 5 from each lubrication hole 8 a of the plain bearing 8. By flowing in, the shafts 4 and 5 are lubricated to reduce the frictional resistance between the shafts 4 and 5 and the plain bearings 8.

  Next, the method of the airtightness test of the relief passage 13 in this embodiment will be described based on FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 13A, an aluminum plate 31 with an O-ring 31 a having a diameter slightly larger than the opening diameter of the opening one end 13 a of the relief passage 13 is attached to one end of the relief passage 13. As shown in FIG. 13B, the opening end portion 13a of the relief passage 13 is closed by the aluminum plate 33, and the other opening end portion of the relief passage 13 outside the figure is placed. The leak is determined by filling with compressed air.

  Therefore, according to this embodiment, the communication groove 18 and the bypass passage 12 are in the upper housing 2, the oil groove 15 and the relief passage 13 are in the lower housing 3, and the communication groove 18 and the oil groove. 15 are provided in different housings, the oil groove 15 and the relief passage 13 are separated from each other, and the relief passage 13 is opened only on the joint surface 10 of the lower housing 3.

  Thereby, during the airtightness test of the relief passage 13, the opening in the relief passage 13 on the side of the joining surface 10 is only closed by the aluminum plate 31, and the pressure in the relief passage 13 is increased by the oil groove 15. No longer run away.

  As a result, even if the oil groove 15 and the relief passage 13 are formed on the same housing, the test can be performed without deteriorating workability such as sealing the oil groove 15 during the airtightness test. It can be carried out.

  Further, even if the supply passage 11 extends between the housings 2 and 3 and opens to the joint surfaces 9 and 10, the airtightness test can be easily performed by the test method.

  In addition, the housings 2 and 3 are joined by providing the supply hole 16 in the oil groove 15 and the introduction portion 19 in the communication groove 18 so that the area gradually increases toward the opening side. Even if a slight misalignment occurs, the communication groove 18 and the oil groove 15 can be reliably communicated with each other.

  Furthermore, since the opening area of the relief passage 13 on the side of the joint surface 10 is formed larger than the opening area of the bypass passage 12, a slight displacement occurs when the housings 2 and 3 are joined. Even in this case, the bypass passage 12 and the relief passage 13 can be reliably communicated with each other.

  As a result, when assembling the housings 2 and 3, an unnecessarily high assembling accuracy is not required, so that the assembling workability of the balancer device is improved.

  Further, the introduction portion 19 formed in a smooth concave curved surface can smoothly guide the lubricating oil to the oil groove 15 side, and from the joint surface 10 of the lower housing 3 into the supply hole 16. The convex bent portion 17 that is gently bent can further guide the lubricating oil into the oil groove 15 more efficiently.

  Thereby, even if the communication groove 18 is not formed in the same housing as the oil groove 15, the lubricating oil can be smoothly supplied to the oil groove 15 or discharged from the oil groove 15.

  Further, by providing the widened portions 18a and 18b at the boundary between the introduction portion 19 and the bypass passage 12 in the communication groove 18, the boundary between the introduction portion 19 and the bypass passage 12 has a gentle arc shape. Therefore, the flow resistance of the lubricating oil can be reduced, and the lubricating oil can be supplied or discharged efficiently.

  The technical ideas other than the invention described in the claims, as grasped from the embodiment, will be described below.

  The present invention is characterized in that the oil passage is a supply passage for supplying lubricating oil to the oil groove.

  The present invention is characterized in that the oil passage is a discharge passage for discharging lubricating oil from the oil groove.

  In the present invention, the oil passage is constituted by a bypass passage for supplying or discharging lubricating oil to or from the oil groove, and a relief passage through which the lubricating oil relieved through a relief valve flows, and the bypass passage and the The relief passage is formed in each of the upper housing and the lower housing.

  In the present invention, a connecting hole between the communication groove and the oil groove is provided with a supply hole and / or an introduction portion that expands the communication groove and / or the oil groove from the bottom surface side toward the opening side. It is characterized by that.

  According to this invention, even when a slight misalignment occurs when the upper housing and the lower housing are coupled, the communication groove and the oil groove can be reliably communicated with each other. When assembling the upper housing and the lower housing, assembling accuracy more than necessary is not required, so that assembling workability is improved.

  The present invention is characterized in that the supply hole expands in a trumpet shape from the bottom side toward the communication groove and / or the oil groove and is connected to the communication groove and / or the oil groove without a corner. .

  According to the present invention, the supply hole is connected to the communication groove and / or the oil groove without a corner, so that the lubricating oil can pass between the supply hole and the communication groove and / or the oil groove. The flow becomes smooth, the flow resistance of the lubricating oil can be reduced, and the lubricating oil can be supplied or discharged efficiently.

  According to the present invention, a protruding portion that gently bends in a direction in which the communication groove extends is formed at a joint portion of the oil groove with the communication groove, while the oil groove in the communication groove The coupling portion is characterized in that an introduction portion having an inner surface formed in a hemispherical shape is formed.

  According to the present invention, the introduction portion formed in a smooth concave curved surface can smoothly guide the lubricating oil to the oil groove side, and can be gradually introduced from the joint surface of the lower housing into the oil groove. It is possible to guide the lubricating oil into the oil groove more efficiently by the bent portion that is bent in the shape, and even if the communication groove is not formed in the same housing as the oil groove, the lubricating oil can be supplied. The oil groove can be supplied or discharged smoothly.

  The present invention is characterized in that one of the oil passages respectively formed in the upper housing and the lower housing has a larger area than the other.

  According to the present invention, the oil passages can be reliably communicated with each other even when a slight misalignment occurs when the upper housing and the lower housing are coupled. When assembling the lower housing, assembling accuracy more than necessary is not required, so that assembling workability is improved.

  As mentioned above, this invention is not limited to the structure of the said embodiment, For example, the shape and magnitude | size of the upper oil pan 1, the shape and quantity of the said bearing part 6, and also 1st, 2nd shaft 4, 5 and the size and quantity of each balancer weight 7a, 7b can be freely changed according to the specifications and size of the engine.

  Further, even if the communication groove 18 is provided as a communication hole that is formed through the upper housing 2 by a drill or the like, the same effect as that of the present embodiment can be obtained.

10 shows an embodiment of a balancer device according to the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. It is the elements on larger scale of FIG. 1 explaining the principal part of this invention in the balancer apparatus. It is the elements on larger scale which show the joining surface of the lower housing which concerns on this invention, and demonstrate the principal part of this invention. It is the elements on larger scale which show the joint surface of the upper housing which concerns on this invention, and demonstrate the principal part of this invention. It is a front view which shows the joining surface of the lower housing which concerns on this invention. It is a front view which shows the surface of the lower housing which concerns on this invention. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is the front view which looked at the balancer device from the engine front end side. It is the BB sectional drawing of FIG. 8 seen from the joint surface side of the upper housing which concerns on this invention. It is CC sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the EE sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a figure explaining the procedure of the conventional airtightness test, (a) is the schematic which shows a 1st process, (b) is the schematic which shows a 2nd process. It is a figure explaining the procedure of the airtightness test which concerns on this invention, (a) is the schematic which shows a 1st process, (b) is the schematic which shows a 2nd process.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Upper oil pan (balancer housing)
2 ... Upper housing 3 ... Lower housing 4 ... First shaft (balancer shaft)
5 ... Second shaft (balancer shaft)
6 ... Bearing portion 7a ... Balance weight 7b ... Balance weight 9 ... Upper housing joint surface 10 ... Lower housing joint surface 12 ... Bypass passage (oil passage)
13. Relief passage (oil passage)
15 ... Oil groove 16 ... Supply hole (oil groove)
18 ... Communication groove 19 ... Introduction part (communication groove)

Claims (3)

A balancer housing comprising an upper housing and a lower housing;
A balancer shaft rotatably accommodated in the balancer housing and having a balance weight;
Bearing portions provided at a plurality of locations on the joint surface of the upper housing and the lower housing, each bearing the balancer shaft;
An oil groove provided on one side of each joint surface of the upper housing and the lower housing, and communicating between the bearing portions;
An oil passage that opens in the upper housing or the lower housing provided with the oil groove, and is provided at a position separated from the oil groove;
A communication groove formed in the upper housing or the lower housing not provided with the oil groove, and communicating the oil groove and the oil passage;
A balancer device comprising: A balancer housing comprising an upper housing and a lower housing;
A balancer shaft rotatably accommodated in the balancer housing and having a balance weight;
Bearing portions provided at a plurality of locations on the joint surface of the upper housing and the lower housing, each bearing the balancer shaft;
An oil groove provided on one side of each joint surface of the upper housing and the lower housing, and communicating between the bearing portions;
An oil passage that opens in both the upper housing and the lower housing, and is provided at a position close to and spaced from the oil groove;
A communication groove formed in the upper housing or the lower housing not provided with the oil groove, and communicating the oil groove and the oil passage;
A balancer device comprising: A balancer housing comprising an upper housing and a lower housing;
A balancer shaft rotatably accommodated in the balancer housing and having a balance weight;
Bearing portions provided at a plurality of locations on the joint surface of the upper housing and the lower housing, each bearing the balancer shaft;
An oil groove provided on one side of each joint surface of the upper housing and the lower housing, and communicating between the bearing portions;
An oil passage that opens in the upper housing or the lower housing provided with the oil groove, and is provided at a position separated from the oil groove;
A communication portion for communicating the oil groove and the oil passage via the upper housing or the lower housing in which the oil groove is not formed;
A balancer device comprising:

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