JP2008045701A - Transmission - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a structure having little agitation resistance of lubricating oil during travel while accurately measuring the amount of lubricating oil by an oil level gage in a transmission provided with two lubricating oil reservoirs in a housing. <P>SOLUTION: An oil pan chamber 13 and a differential chamber 14 whose levels of stored lubricating oil may not coincide are provided in a housing 1. Communicating holes 15a, 15b are provided to serve for communication between the oil pan chamber 13 and the differential chamber 14, and an on-off valve 25 is provided for opening/closing the communicating holes 15a, 15b. The on-off valve 25 is operated by the operation of the oil level gage 20 to open or shut off the communicating holes 15a, 15b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a transmission for automobiles, and more particularly to a lubricating oil storage structure in the transmission, and belongs to the technical field of transmissions for automobiles.

  In a transmission provided in an automobile, a housing is integrally provided with a speed change mechanism, a differential mechanism that transmits power to left and right drive wheels, and an intermediate transmission mechanism that decelerates the output of the speed change mechanism and transmits it to the differential mechanism. May be stored. In the lower part of the housing, an oil pan chamber for storing lubricating oil is provided by attaching an oil pan integrally or separately to the housing.

  In such a transmission, the lubricating oil is supplied to the transmission, the differential mechanism, the intermediate transmission mechanism, etc., by supplying the lubricating oil in the oil pan chamber to the lubricating portion by a pump, or the final gear of the differential mechanism, etc. It is carried out by scraping up by rotating.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a differential mechanism accommodation chamber (hereinafter referred to as “a differential chamber”) in which a differential mechanism is accommodated in a housing and an oil pan chamber are provided, and a weir is provided between them to supply lubricating oil. A configuration is disclosed in which the dam is provided with a through hole while being stored in each of the pan chamber and the differential chamber.

  According to this, the lubricating oil stored in the differential chamber does not pass over the weir and is scraped and scattered by the final gear or the like, so that it is always maintained at a certain level or less. Therefore, the agitation resistance due to the agitation of the lubricating oil stored in the differential chamber by the final gear or the like is suppressed to be low, and deterioration of the fuel consumption of the engine is prevented. Further, when the vehicle body posture changes, the necessary amount of lubricating oil is secured in the differential chamber by the weir, so that insufficient lubrication is also eliminated. A certain amount of lubricating oil is held in the differential chamber when the vehicle is stopped or traveling at a very low speed by the through hole provided in the weir.

JP 2004-36633 A

  However, in the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the through-hole provided in the weir is for holding a certain level of lubricating oil in the differential chamber when the vehicle stops or the like, and the differential chamber, the oil pan chamber, Is not intended to match the levels of both chambers, so when measuring the amount of lubricating oil in the housing with the oil level gauge when stopping, the levels of both chambers differ and cannot be measured accurately. It will be.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a structure in which the amount of lubricating oil can be accurately measured by an oil level gauge in a transmission in which two lubricating oil reservoirs are provided in the housing, such as the oil pan chamber and the differential chamber. This is the issue.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is configured as follows.

  First, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is a transmission provided with an oil level gauge for checking the amount of lubricating oil stored in the housing from the state of adhesion of the lubricating oil, In addition, a first storage portion and a second storage portion in which the level of the stored lubricating oil may not match are provided, and a communication hole that allows communication between the first storage portion and the second storage portion And an open / close valve that opens and closes the communication hole, and the open / close valve is configured to open and close the communication hole by a predetermined operation of the oil level gauge or a related member. .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the transmission according to the first aspect, the transmission includes a transmission mechanism and a differential mechanism coupled to an output portion of the transmission mechanism. The first storage part is an oil pan chamber provided below the transmission mechanism, and the second storage part is a differential mechanism storage chamber in which a lower part of the differential mechanism is stored. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the transmission according to the first or second aspect, the on-off valve is configured by an oil level gauge or a related member.

  Furthermore, the invention according to claim 4 is the transmission according to claim 3, wherein the oil level gauge or a related member has a thinning portion on a cylindrical outer peripheral surface, and a predetermined rotation position thereof. The communication hole is closed by the outer peripheral surface, and the communication hole is opened by the thinning portion at another predetermined rotational position.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the transmission according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the related member of the oil level gauge is a guide pipe of the oil level gauge. And

  According to the transmission of the first aspect, when the amount of lubricating oil in the transmission is measured by the oil level gauge, the communication hole is formed by the on-off valve if the oil level gauge or a related member is subjected to a predetermined operation. Since the circuit is opened, the levels of the lubricating oil stored in the first and second storage portions respectively coincide with each other. Therefore, by measuring using an oil level gauge in this state, it becomes possible to accurately measure the amount of lubricating oil in the housing.

  According to the transmission of the second aspect, when the first storage portion is the oil pan chamber and the second storage portion is the differential mechanism accommodation chamber, during normal operation, between the two chambers. By closing the provided communication hole with an on-off valve, the lubricating oil stored in the differential mechanism housing chamber is scraped out by rotation of, for example, a final gear constituting the differential mechanism, The amount of lubricating oil is reduced. Therefore, the agitation resistance of the lubricating oil due to the rotation of the final gear or the like is reduced, and deterioration of the fuel consumption of the engine is prevented.

  When the communication hole is opened to measure the amount of lubricating oil, the lubricating oil flows from the oil pan chamber into the differential chamber and the level of lubricating oil in the chamber rises. However, the amount of lubricating oil in the differential mechanism housing chamber decreases relatively quickly and the stirring resistance also decreases quickly due to the scraping of the lubricating oil caused by the rotation of the final gear or the like.

  According to the transmission of the third aspect, since the on-off valve is constituted by an oil level gauge or a related member thereof, the on-off valve that opens and closes the communication hole separately from the oil level gauge or the related member. Provided, and a complicated configuration of interlocking the on-off valve and the oil level gauge is not required.

  Furthermore, according to the transmission according to claim 4, since the communication hole is opened and closed by the rotation of the oil level gauge having a thinned portion on the outer peripheral surface or the related member, the communication hole can be easily and reliably operated. Can be opened and closed.

  And according to the transmission of Claim 5, the said effect is achieved using the guide pipe which guides an oil level gauge.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

  1 to 3 show the structure of the end portion of the automatic transmission housing 1 on the side opposite to the torque converter. The housing 1 includes a transmission mechanism 2 composed of a plurality of planetary gear mechanisms, frictional engagement elements, and the like. The differential mechanism 4 to which the output from the transmission mechanism 2 is input via the intermediate transmission mechanism 3 is housed.

  The bottom of the housing 1 is an oil pan chamber 13 for storing lubricating oil. As shown in FIG. 2, an arc-shaped weir along the outer periphery of the final gear 4a serving as an input member to the differential mechanism 4 is used. 11 and the dam 11 and the rear wall 12 (see FIG. 4) connected to the rear end portion define a differential chamber 14 that houses the lower portion of the differential mechanism 4 at one corner of the bottom of the housing 1. The oil pan chamber 13 and the differential chamber 14 serve as first and second reservoirs that independently store the lubricating oil. A control valve unit 5 is disposed behind the rear wall 12 in the oil pan chamber 13 and is immersed in lubricating oil.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a cylindrical portion 15 extending upward from the bottom surface of the housing 1 protrudes from a corner portion connected to the rear wall 12 at the rear end portion of the weir 11. A gauge insertion hole 16 is provided in the upper surface of the housing 1 directly above the cylindrical portion 15. An oil level gauge 20 is inserted into the housing 1 through the insertion hole 16.

  The oil level gauge 20 has a handle portion 21 at the upper end and a plug portion 22 at a portion immediately below the handle portion. A rod-shaped portion 23 extends downward from the plug portion 22 and a lower portion thereof for detecting the liquid level. It is set as the measurement part 24, and the valve body 25 is provided in the downward direction further. When the plug portion 21 is inserted through the insertion hole 16 and seals the insertion hole 16, the measurement portion 24 and the valve body 25 below the oil level gauge 20 are provided in the cylinder provided in the weir 11. It is inserted into the shaped part 15.

  The valve body 25 at the lower end of the oil level gauge 20 and the cylindrical portion 15 constitute an open / close valve that communicates and blocks between the oil pan chamber 13 and the differential chamber 14.

  That is, as shown in enlarged views in FIGS. 4 and 5, a communication hole that penetrates the cylindrical portion 15 and communicates the oil pan chamber 13 and the differential chamber 14 is formed in the lower peripheral wall surface of the cylindrical portion 15. 15a and 15b are provided opposite to each other, and the valve body 25 at the lower end of the oil level gauge 20 is provided with a thinned portion 25a formed by thinning a cylindrical outer peripheral surface over a predetermined range, and a cylindrical portion. 15 is provided with a large-diameter portion 25b that fits closely to the outer periphery.

  In the state in which the thinned portion 25a of the valve body 25 is located at the positions of the communication holes 15a and 15b on both sides of the cylindrical portion 15, the oil pan chamber is interposed through the communication holes 15a and 15b and the inside of the cylindrical portion 15. 13 and the differential chamber 14 communicate with each other, and as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the valve body 25 is rotated 90 degrees from this state, and is greatly moved to one of the communication holes 15a and 15b. If the diameter portion 25b is positioned, the communication hole is closed, and the oil pan chamber 13 and the differential chamber 14 are blocked from each other.

  In addition, an introduction hole 15 c for introducing lubricating oil around the measurement part 24 of the oil level gauge gauge 20 is provided in the upper part of the cylindrical part 15.

  According to the above configuration, when measuring the amount of lubricating oil in the housing 1 when the vehicle is stopped, the oil level gauge 20 is, for example, in accordance with a mark (not shown) provided around the gauge insertion hole 16 on the upper surface of the housing. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the handle portion 21 is rotated to a predetermined rotation position, and the communicating portions on both sides of the tubular portion 15 are communicated by the thinned portion 25 a in the valve body 25 at the lower end of the oil level gauge 20. When the holes 15 a and 15 b are opened, the differential chamber 14 and the oil pan chamber 13 are communicated with each other through the cylindrical portion 15. As a result, the lubricating oil generally flows from the oil pan chamber 13 to the differential chamber 14, and the levels of the lubricating oil stored in both the chambers 13, 14 are equalized.

  At this time, lubricating oil flows from the introduction hole 15 c provided in the upper portion of the cylindrical portion 15 to the upper side of the valve body 25 in the cylindrical portion 15, and the level is supplied to the measuring portion 24 of the oil level gauge 20. The position of is marked. Therefore, if the oil level gauge 20 is pulled out from the insertion hole 16 in this state and the state of attachment of the lubricating oil to the measuring section 24 is visually observed, whether or not the total amount of lubricating oil stored in the housing 1 is appropriate. It will be measured accurately.

  On the other hand, if the oil level gauge 20 is rotated 90 degrees from the state shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 in accordance with the mark attached around the gauge insertion hole 16, the valve body 25 at the lower end of the gauge 20 is the same. 6 to 8, the large-diameter portion 25b moves to the position of one communication hole (the communication hole 15a in the illustrated example) in the cylindrical portion 15 to close the communication hole. . Therefore, the oil pan chamber 13 and the differential chamber 14 are blocked from each other.

  If the vehicle travels in this state, the lubricating oil in the differential chamber 14 is scraped up by rotation of the final gear 4a and the like of the differential mechanism 4 in the X direction, and the differential chamber 14 and the oil pan chamber 13 are partitioned. It passes over the weir 11 and is carried into the oil pan chamber 13. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the oil level in the differential chamber 14 decreases in a relatively short time after the start of traveling. At this time, since the valve chamber 25 blocks the differential chamber 14 and the oil pan chamber 13, the differential chamber 14 is maintained at a low oil level.

  As a result, the agitation resistance of the lubricating oil by the final gear 4a or the like during traveling is reduced, and deterioration of the fuel efficiency of the engine due to the agitation resistance is suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the oil pan chamber 13 and the differential chamber 14 are communicated and blocked by rotating the oil level gauge 20, but as in the modification shown in FIG. The valve body 25 ′ at the lower end of the oil level gauge 20 ′ has a simple columnar shape that fits into the tubular portion 15 ′. When the gauge 20 ′ is inserted, the tubular portion 15 ′ is inserted by the valve body 25 ′. And the oil pan chamber 13 and the differential chamber are connected via the communication holes 15a 'and 15b' of the cylindrical portion 15 '. 14 may be configured to communicate with each other.

  10 to 12 show a second embodiment. In this embodiment, the dam 111 that partitions the oil pan chamber 113 and the differential chamber 114 extends upward from the bottom surface of the housing 101. A guide pipe 130 of an oil level gauge 120 is inserted between the tubular portion 115 and a gauge insertion hole 116 provided on the upper surface of the housing 101 directly above the tubular portion 115, An oil level gauge 120 is removably inserted.

  The guide pipe 130 is rotatably inserted into the insertion hole 116 and the cylindrical portion 115, and a lower end portion fitted to the cylindrical portion 115 constitutes a valve body 131, and the cylindrical portion 115 And constitutes an on-off valve. That is, the valve body 125 at the lower end of the guide pipe is provided with a thinned portion 131a obtained by thinning the outer peripheral surface over a predetermined range, and a large diameter portion 131b that fits closely with the cylindrical portion 115. .

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the state where the thinned portion 131 a of the valve body 131 is located at the positions of the communication holes 115 a and 115 b on both sides of the cylindrical portion 115, these communication holes 115 a and 115 b and the cylindrical portion 115. The oil pan chamber 113 and the differential chamber 114 communicate with each other through the inside, and as shown in FIG. 12, the guide pipe 130 or the valve body 131 at the lower end thereof rotates 90 degrees from this state to communicate with each other. If the large-diameter portion 131b is located at the position of the hole 115a (or the communication hole 115b), the communication hole 115a is closed and the oil pan chamber 113 and the differential chamber 114 are blocked. .

  Therefore, also in this embodiment, when measuring the amount of lubricating oil in the housing 101 when the vehicle is stopped, the guide pipe 130 is rotated according to a mark attached around the gauge insertion hole 116 on the upper surface of the housing, for example. 11, when the communicating holes 115a and 115b of the tubular portion 115 are opened by the thinned portion 131a in the valve body 131 at the lower end of the pipe 130 as shown in FIG. The oil pan chamber 113 and the differential chamber 114 communicate with each other through the inside, and the levels of the lubricating oil stored in both the chambers 113 and 114 are equalized.

  In this state, if the oil level gauge 120 is pulled out from the guide pipe 130 and the adhesion state of the lubricating oil to the measuring unit 124 is visually observed, the total amount of lubricating oil stored in the housing 1 can be accurately detected. become.

  Further, if the guide pipe 130 is rotated by 90 degrees according to the mark attached around the gauge insertion hole 116 of the housing 101, as shown in FIG. 12, one communication hole (in the example shown in the figure) When the large-diameter portion 131b of the valve body 131 is positioned at the position of the communication hole 115a), the communication hole is closed and the oil pan chamber 113 and the differential chamber 114 are blocked. Therefore, if the vehicle travels in this state, the lubricating oil in the differential chamber 114 is picked up by the rotation of the final gear 4a of the differential mechanism 4 and carried into the oil pan chamber 113, and the differential chamber 14 is lubricated during traveling. A state where the amount of oil is small and the stirring resistance of the lubricating oil is small is maintained.

  Furthermore, the third embodiment shown in FIG. 13 relates to an automatic transmission in which a control valve unit 5 is installed above one side of the housing 201, and the first and second reservoirs for storing lubricating oil. As shown, an oil pan chamber 213 at the bottom of the housing 201 and a valve unit storage chamber 214 above one side of the housing are provided, and an opening on the upper surface of the storage chamber 214 is closed by a cover 215.

  A gauge insertion hole 216 is provided in the cover 215, and a communication hole 217 is provided immediately below the insertion hole 216 on the bottom surface of the valve unit storage chamber 214, and is inserted from the insertion hole 216. The oil level gauge 220 reaches the lower oil pan chamber 213 through the communication hole 217.

  The oil level gauge 220 includes a handle portion 221 at the upper end, a plug portion 222 immediately below it, a rod-shaped portion 223 extending downward from the plug portion 222, and a measuring unit 224 provided at the lower end of the rod-shaped portion 223. A valve body 225 is provided at an intermediate portion of the rod-shaped portion 223. When the plug portion 222 is inserted through the insertion hole 216 and seals the insertion hole 216, the valve body 225 is inserted into the valve unit storage chamber 213. The hole 217 is fitted into the communication hole 217 on the bottom surface to close the hole 217.

  In this embodiment, during the operation of the transmission, the lubricating oil scattered in the valve unit storage chamber 214 due to the rotation of the transmission mechanism 2, the intermediate transmission mechanism 3, etc., the pressure regulating operation and the drain in the control valve unit 5 Lubricating oil discharged from the unit 205 is accumulated by operation or the like. Accordingly, the amount of lubricating oil in the oil pan chamber 213 is reduced by that amount, and for example, the stirring resistance of the lubricating oil applied to the final gear 4a of the differential mechanism 4 is reduced.

  On the other hand, in order to measure the total amount of lubricating oil in the housing 201, it is necessary to flow the lubricating oil stored in the valve unit storage chamber 214 into the oil pan chamber 213. In this case, the oil level gauge 220 is When the valve body 225 of the gauge 220 is pulled out upward by a predetermined amount, the communication hole 217 is opened when the valve body 225 of the gauge 220 is removed from the bottom surface of the valve unit storage chamber 214, and the lubrication stored in the valve unit storage chamber 214. Oil falls into the lower oil pan chamber 213.

  Therefore, in this state, if the oil level gauge 220 is reinserted into the insertion hole 216 and then extracted again, the position of the lubricating oil level in the oil pan chamber 213 is recorded in the measuring section 224 of the oil level gauge 220. As a result, the total amount of lubricating oil stored in the housing 201 is measured.

  In each of the above embodiments, the oil pan chambers 13, 113, 213 are integrally provided at the bottoms of the housings 1, 101, 201. However, the oil pan chambers 13, 113, 213 are configured by an oil pan separate from the housing. May be.

  Moreover, although each said embodiment is related with an automatic transmission, this invention is applicable similarly to a manual transmission.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in the transmission in which the first and second lubricating oil reservoirs are provided in the housing, the amount of lubricating oil in the housing can be accurately measured with a simple operation. Therefore, it may be suitably used in the transmission manufacturing field of the automobile industry.

It is sectional drawing of the rear part of the housing of the automatic transmission which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is a principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 3 which shows the state at the time of a communicating hole closing. It is a principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is DD sectional drawing of FIG. It is a principal part enlarged view which shows the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the housing which shows 2nd Embodiment. It is EE sectional drawing of FIG. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 11 which shows the state at the time of a communicating hole closing. It is sectional drawing of the housing which shows 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,101,201 Housing 13,113,213 1st storage part 14,114,214 2nd storage part 15a, 15b, 115a, 115b, 217 Communication hole 20,120,220 Oil level gauge 25,131,225 Valve body 130 Guide pipe

Claims (5)

A transmission equipped with an oil level gauge for checking the amount of lubricant stored in the housing from the state of adhesion of the lubricant,
In the housing, there are provided a first reservoir and a second reservoir that may not match the level of the lubricating oil stored,
A communication hole for communicating between the first reservoir and the second reservoir;
An on-off valve for opening and closing the communication hole,
The on-off valve is configured to open and close the communication hole by a predetermined operation of the oil level gauge or a related member. The transmission according to claim 1,
A transmission mechanism and a differential mechanism coupled to the output portion of the transmission mechanism are housed in the housing.
The first reservoir is an oil pan chamber provided below the transmission mechanism,
The transmission according to claim 1, wherein the second storage portion is a differential mechanism accommodation chamber in which a lower portion of the differential mechanism is accommodated. In the transmission according to claim 1 or 2,
The on-off valve is constituted by an oil level gauge or a related member thereof. The transmission according to claim 3, wherein
The oil level gauge or related member has a thinned portion on a cylindrical outer peripheral surface,
The communication hole is closed by the outer peripheral surface at the predetermined rotation position,
A transmission characterized in that the communication hole is opened by the thinning portion at another predetermined rotation position. In the transmission according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The related member of the oil level gauge is a guide pipe of the oil level gauge.

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