JP2008303720A - Oil circulation device for engine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an oil circulation device for an engine capable of compatibly materializing improvement of warming up properties and improvement of oil deterioration inhibition by improving warming up properties and materializing reduction of friction loss and improvement of fuel economy of the engine. <P>SOLUTION: An oil pan 11 includes a main storage chamber 15 having a strainer 19 installed therein, an oil guide means 20 having an auxiliary storage chamber 16 partitioned from the main storage chamber 15 by a partition wall 13 and guiding oil 9 flowing down from the engine main body 2 to the main storage chamber 15, a communication hole 25 formed in the partition wall 13 and keeping communication between the main storage chamber 15 and the auxiliary storage chamber 16, and a valve member 30 opening and closing the communication hole 25 and opening the communication hole 25 only when an oil level in the main storage chamber 15 is lower than an oil level in the auxiliary storage chamber 16. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an engine oil circulation device in which a main storage chamber and a sub-storage chamber are provided in an oil pan so that warm-up performance and suppression of deterioration of oil can be improved.

  Generally, an oil circulation device for an engine such as an automobile is provided with an oil pan below the engine body, and a strainer is arranged inside the oil pan, and oil stored in the oil pan is pumped from the strainer by an oil pump. The oil is supplied into the engine body, the engine is lubricated with the oil, and then the oil is collected in an oil pan and circulated.

  With this type of oil circulation system, when the engine is cold, when the oil is cold, the oil has a high viscosity and low circulation (lubricity). Need a period. Here, by reducing the oil capacity to such an extent that poor lubrication of the oil does not occur, warm-up performance is improved (shortening the warm-up period), oil circulation is promoted, and engine friction loss is reduced. Reduction and improvement in fuel economy can be expected.

  However, if the oil capacity is reduced, the oil tends to deteriorate as a whole. Therefore, it can be dealt with by increasing the oil capacity, but the warm-up performance is lowered and the oil circulation cannot be promoted. The reduction of friction loss and the improvement of fuel efficiency cannot be expected. That is, in an oil circulation device that simply circulates the oil in the oil pan as a whole, it is difficult to achieve both improvement in warm-up performance and improvement in oil deterioration suppression.

  Therefore, in the oil pan described in Patent Document 1, the first and second oil reservoirs are partitioned by a partition plate, a strainer is installed in the first oil reservoir, and the first and second oil reservoirs communicate with the partition plate. A communication hole is formed, and an on-off valve made of bimetal is provided to open and close the communication hole according to the temperature difference between the oil in the first and second oil reservoirs, and the upper end of the partition plate is located below the oil level of the oil pan. ing.

  In this oil pan, when the engine is started and the oil is cold, the on-off valve closes the communication hole, so the oil in the first oil sump is used, and when the oil in the first oil summ rises, the on-off valve is deformed. The communication holes are opened and the oil in both the first and second oil reservoirs is used. Oil flowing down from the engine body may be collected in the second oil sump. In this case, even if the on-off valve closes the communication hole so that the amount of oil in the first oil sump does not decrease too much. The oil in the second oil reservoir moves to the first oil reservoir through the upper side of the partition plate.

JP 2003-278519 A

  The oil pan described in Patent Document 1 has first and second oil reservoirs, partition plates, communication holes, and on-off valves. When the engine is started and the oil is at a low temperature, the oil in the first oil reservoir is used. However, the oil flowing down from the engine body may be collected in the second oil sump. In this case, when the on-off valve closes the communication hole, the oil in the second oil reservoir moves to the first oil reservoir through the upper side of the partition plate, so that the amount of oil in the first oil reservoir decreases too much. However, the low temperature oil in the second oil sump also moves to the first oil sump, which hinders the temperature rise of the oil in the first oil sump.

  Moreover, in the oil pan described in Patent Document 1, since the on-off valve opens and closes the communication hole due to the temperature difference between the oil in the first and second oil reservoirs, the communication is increased when the temperature of the oil in the first oil reservoir rises. The oil in both the first and second oil reservoirs is used by opening the holes, and when the oil in the second oil reservoir moves to the first oil reservoir through the communication hole, the first oil Since the temperature of the oil in the reservoir is lowered, there is a possibility that the warm-up property cannot be sufficiently improved.

  The object of the present invention is to improve the warm-up performance, reduce the friction loss of the engine and improve the fuel efficiency, and improve the warm-up performance and improve the deterioration of oil. Is to provide a device.

  The engine oil circulation device according to claim 1 is provided with an oil pan on the lower side of the engine body, and the oil stored in the oil pan is pumped up from the suction port by the pump means and supplied into the engine body. In the oil circulator for an engine that is recovered and circulated, the oil pan includes a main storage chamber in which the suction port is installed, and a sub-storage chamber partitioned by a partition wall with respect to the main storage chamber. An oil guiding means for guiding oil flowing down from the engine body to a main storage chamber; a communication hole formed in the partition wall for communicating the main storage chamber and the auxiliary storage chamber; and a valve for opening and closing the communication hole And a valve member that opens the communication hole only when the oil level of the main storage chamber is lower than the oil level of the sub storage chamber.

  In this engine oil circulation device, an oil pan is provided with a main storage chamber and a sub-storage chamber partitioned by a partition wall, a suction port is installed in the main storage chamber, and oil stored in the main storage chamber is sucked into the suction port. Is pumped up by the pump means and supplied into the engine body. The oil supplied into the engine body flows down from the engine body after lubricating various parts of the engine, and the oil is guided to the main storage chamber by the oil guiding means. That is, the oil in the main storage chamber is supplied into the engine body, and then recovered and circulated in the main storage chamber.

  Immediately after the engine is started, the oil in the main storage chamber is pumped up by the pump means and supplied into the engine body, and there is no return of oil from the engine body to the main storage chamber. When the amount of oil returning to the main storage chamber is less than the amount, the oil level in the main storage chamber decreases, and when the oil level in the sub storage chamber becomes lower, the communication hole is opened by the valve member, The oil in the auxiliary storage chamber moves to the main storage chamber through the communication hole so that the oil level in the auxiliary storage chamber becomes the same.

  Since the oil level in the main storage chamber is lower than the oil level in the sub-storage chamber immediately after engine startup, assuming that the oil levels in the main storage chamber and the sub-storage chamber are the same before starting the engine, the valve member As a result, the communication hole is opened, the oil in the secondary storage chamber moves to the main storage chamber through the communication hole, and only the oil in the main storage chamber circulates, including the oil that has moved from this secondary storage chamber to the main storage chamber. The temperature rises. If the oil level in the main storage chamber and the sub storage chamber become the same, the communication hole is closed by the valve member, and then drops from the cylinder head or the like and the amount of oil returning to the main storage chamber increases, Although the oil level becomes higher than the oil level in the auxiliary storage chamber, the oil level in the main storage chamber is basically maintained, and the oil in the main storage chamber is circulated.

  In other words, the oil in the main storage chamber is circulated with a slightly larger amount of oil than before the engine is started, and the remaining oil in the sub storage chamber is unused so that the oil amount becomes an appropriate amount. Only the oil in the main storage chamber is effectively heated, that is, the warm-up is improved, and only the oil in the main storage chamber that has been heated up is actively circulated thereafter, reducing the friction loss of the engine and improving the fuel efficiency. Improvement is realized.

  In addition, the oil in the secondary storage chamber is not unused all the time, and as described above, when the engine is started, a part of the oil moves to the main storage chamber, and the oil level in the main storage chamber is set to the secondary storage. After the oil level in the main storage chamber becomes higher than the oil level in the main storage chamber, particularly when the engine is stopped, the oil in the main storage chamber is returned to the sub storage chamber until the oil levels in the main storage chamber and the sub storage chamber become the same. At the time of start-up, a part of the oil moves to the main storage chamber, so that the oil in the oil pan is used evenly and the local deterioration of the oil is suppressed.

Here, the following configuration can be adopted in the invention of claim 1.
The partition wall is provided with a heat insulating structure that suppresses heat transfer from the oil in the main storage chamber to the oil in the sub storage chamber (Claim 2). The oil guiding means comprises a guide plate that receives oil flowing down from the oil return passage of the engine body on the upper side of the sub-reservoir chamber and guides it to the main reservoir chamber. The valve member opens and closes the communication hole by a difference in oil head pressure between the main storage chamber and the sub storage chamber.

  When the valve member closes the communication hole and the oil level of the main storage chamber is higher than the oil level of the sub storage chamber when the engine is stopped, the oil in the main storage chamber is sub-stored from the communication hole. It is configured to be able to leak into the chamber (claim 5). The valve member comes into contact with the periphery of the communication hole of the partition wall from the main storage chamber side to close the communication hole, and rotates to the main storage chamber side around the upper end side portion to open the communication hole. It consists of a hinge type on-off valve (Claim 6).

  An overflow port is formed in the upper part of the partition wall to return a predetermined amount or more of the oil stored in the main storage chamber to the sub storage chamber. An inclined guide member is provided on the partition wall so as to face the overflow port from the sub-reservoir chamber, and guides the oil that flows down from the engine body and enters the sub-reservoir chamber side from the overflow port to the main reservoir chamber.

  According to the engine oil circulation device of the first aspect, the main storage chamber and the auxiliary storage chamber partitioned by the partition wall are provided in the oil pan, the suction port is provided in the main storage chamber, and the main storage chamber and the auxiliary storage chamber are provided in the partition wall. A communication hole that communicates with the storage chamber is formed, and in particular, oil guiding means for guiding oil flowing down from the engine body to the main storage chamber is provided, so that the oil flows down from the engine body after being supplied from the main storage chamber to the engine body. Oil can be reliably returned to the main storage chamber so as not to enter the sub-storage chamber, and is a valve member that opens and closes the communication hole, and the oil level of the main storage chamber is lower than the oil level of the sub-storage chamber Since the valve member that opens the communication hole only in the case is provided, the main storage chamber and the sub-storage chamber immediately after the engine start, when the oil level of the main storage chamber decreases and becomes lower than the oil level of the sub-storage chamber Oil level is the same As described above, the oil in the auxiliary storage chamber is moved from the communication hole to the main storage chamber, and the oil including the oil moved from the auxiliary storage chamber to the main storage chamber is circulated to raise the temperature. The oil in the main storage chamber is circulated with a slightly larger amount of oil than before starting the engine, but the oil amount in the main storage chamber is set to an appropriate amount, and the remaining oil in the sub storage chamber is unused. Only the oil in the chamber can be effectively heated, that is, warm-up can be improved, and only the oil in the main storage chamber that has been heated up can be circulated actively thereafter, reducing engine friction loss and fuel consumption. Can be improved. In addition, the oil in the secondary storage chamber is not unused all the time, and as described above, when the engine is started, a part of the oil is moved to the main storage chamber, and the oil level in the main storage chamber is changed to the secondary storage chamber. By returning the oil in the main storage chamber to the sub-storage chamber until the oil level in the main storage chamber and the sub-storage chamber becomes the same, particularly when the engine is stopped, Again, when the engine is started, a part of the oil can be moved to the main storage chamber. Therefore, the oil in the oil pan can be used evenly and the overall deterioration of the oil can be suppressed. In this way, it is possible to achieve both the improvement in warm-up property and the suppression of deterioration of oil.

  According to the engine oil circulation device of the second aspect, since the partition wall is provided with the heat insulating structure that suppresses heat transfer from the oil in the main storage chamber to the oil in the sub storage chamber, the oil in the main storage chamber is further increased. It is possible to effectively raise the temperature and further improve the warm-up property.

  According to the engine oil circulation device of the third aspect, the oil guiding means includes the guide plate that receives the oil flowing down from the oil return passage of the engine body on the upper side of the auxiliary storage chamber and guides it to the main storage chamber. An auxiliary storage chamber is provided below the passage, that is, an auxiliary storage chamber is provided without being restricted by the structure of the engine body, and the oil flowing from the engine body after being supplied from the main storage chamber to the engine body It can be reliably returned to the main storage chamber so as not to enter the storage chamber.

  According to the engine oil circulation device of the fourth aspect, the valve member opens and closes the communication hole due to the difference in the oil head pressure between the main storage chamber and the sub storage chamber, so that the valve member is a control valve that needs to be controlled. In other words, it is possible to operate the valve member so that the communication hole is opened only when the valve member has a simple structure and the oil level of the main storage chamber is lower than the oil level of the sub storage chamber.

  According to the engine oil circulation device of the fifth aspect, when the valve member closes the communication hole and the oil level of the main storage chamber is higher than the oil level of the sub storage chamber when the engine is stopped, the communication is established. Since the oil in the main storage chamber can be leaked from the hole to the sub-storage chamber, the oil in the main storage chamber is surely transferred to the sub-storage chamber until the oil level in the main storage chamber and the sub-storage chamber becomes the same when the engine is stopped. Thus, the oil in the oil pan can be used uniformly and reliably, and the overall deterioration of the oil can be reliably suppressed.

  According to the engine oil circulation device of the sixth aspect, the valve member comes into contact with the periphery of the communication hole of the partition wall from the main storage chamber side to close the communication hole, and the upper end side portion is centered toward the main storage chamber side. Since it consists of a hinged on-off valve that rotates to open the communication hole, the valve member has a simple structure and opens the communication hole only when the oil level in the main storage chamber is lower than the oil level in the sub storage chamber At the same time, when the oil level in the main storage chamber is higher than the oil level in the sub storage chamber when the engine is stopped, the oil in the main storage chamber can be reliably leaked from the communication hole to the sub storage chamber.

  According to the engine oil circulation device of the seventh aspect, the overflow port for returning a predetermined amount or more of the oil stored in the main storage chamber to the sub storage chamber is formed in the upper part of the partition wall. When moving from the communication hole to the main storage chamber, the amount of oil in the main storage chamber does not increase excessively and becomes an appropriate amount, so that reduction of engine friction loss and improvement of fuel efficiency can be realized reliably. Further, when the engine is stopped, a certain amount or more of the oil in the main storage chamber is actively returned to the sub-storage chamber, and thus the oil level in the main storage chamber can be suppressed to a certain level or less. When the oil level in the main storage chamber is higher than the oil level in the sub-storage chamber, the valve member does not increase the force of closing the communication hole, and the main storage chamber is connected to the main storage chamber. Side oil storage It can be reliably leak into.

  According to the engine oil circulation device of the eighth aspect, the inclined guide member that guides the oil that has flowed down from the engine body and entered the auxiliary storage chamber side from the overflow port to the main storage chamber is provided on the partition wall from the overflow port. After the oil that has entered the auxiliary storage chamber from the overflow port is reliably guided to the main storage chamber and supplied from the main storage chamber to the engine body without interfering with the function of the overflow port. The oil flowing down from the main body can be returned more reliably to the main storage chamber so as not to enter the sub storage chamber.

  The engine oil circulation device of the present invention is provided with an oil pan on the lower side of the engine body, and the oil (lubricating oil) stored in the oil pan is pumped from the suction port by the pump means and supplied into the engine body. Thereafter, the oil pan is recovered and circulated, and the oil pan includes a main storage chamber in which the suction port is installed and a sub-storage chamber partitioned by a partition wall with respect to the main storage chamber. An oil guiding means for guiding oil flowing down from the engine body to a main storage chamber; a communication hole formed in the partition wall for communicating the main storage chamber and the auxiliary storage chamber; and a valve for opening and closing the communication hole And a valve member that opens the communication hole only when the oil level of the main storage chamber is lower than the oil level of the sub storage chamber.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the oil circulation device 10 is applied to an engine 1 of an automobile. The engine 1 includes an engine main body 2, and the engine main body 2 includes a cylinder block 3 including an upper block 4 and a lower block 5, and a cylinder head 6 provided on an upper portion of the upper block 4. An oil pan 11 is attached to the block 4.

  The engine 1 is of a so-called horizontal arrangement type. An arrow a in FIG. 1 indicates a vehicle width direction, and an arrow b in FIG. 2 indicates a vehicle front-rear direction. In FIG. 2, 1a is a valve suction mechanism, 1b is a valve discharge mechanism, 1c is a piston, 1d is a crankshaft, and 1e is a crankshaft.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the oil circulation device 10 includes an oil pan 11 provided on the lower side of the engine body 2, and the oil 9 stored in the oil pan 11 is used as a strainer 19 having a suction port. The oil is pumped up by an oil pump (not shown) as a pump means and supplied into the engine body 2. The oil 9 lubricates various parts of the engine 1, and then the oil 9 is collected in the oil pan 11 and circulated. It is configured.

  The oil pan 11 has an oil pan main body 12 and a partition wall 13 disposed inside the oil pan main body 12. The oil pan main body 12 is made of metal, and is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the vehicle width direction in a plan view and has a predetermined vertical width corresponding to the arrangement of the engine main body 2 and the shape of the bottom surface thereof. The upper end flange 12c of the outer peripheral wall 12b is fastened to the lower end portion of the lower block 5 with a plurality of bolts 14 (see FIG. 1).

  The partition wall 13 is made of metal, is substantially the same vertical length as the outer peripheral wall 12b of the oil pan main body 12, is formed in an annular shape of a rectangular frame smaller than the outer peripheral wall 12b, and is entirely spaced from the outer peripheral wall 12b. Arranged inside, the lower end flange portion 13 a is oil-tightly welded to the upper surface of the bottom wall 12 a of the oil pan body 12, and the partition wall 13 allows the oil pan body 12 to be stored inside the partition wall 13. The chamber 15 and the auxiliary storage chamber 16 outside the partition wall 13 are partitioned.

  That is, the oil pan 11 has a main storage chamber 15 and a sub-storage chamber 16 that is partitioned by the partition wall 13 with respect to the main storage chamber 15 and formed in an annular shape on the outer peripheral side of the main storage chamber 15. A strainer 19 is installed inside the storage chamber 15. The oil pan 11 has, for example, a capacity ratio of the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16 of about 2: 1, stores about 6 L of oil as a whole, and the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16 In the state where the oil level is the same, about 4 L of oil is stored in the main storage chamber 15, and about 2 L of oil is stored in the sub storage chamber 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the oil circulation device 10 includes an oil guiding means 20 for guiding oil 9 flowing down from the engine body 2 to the main storage chamber 15, and a main storage chamber formed below the partition wall 13. 15 and a plurality of communication holes 25 that communicate with the auxiliary storage chamber 16 and a plurality of valve members 30 that respectively open and close the plurality of communication holes 25, and the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 is higher than the oil level of the sub storage chamber 16. And a valve member 30 that opens the plurality of communication holes 25 only when it is low.

  The oil guiding means 20 includes a guide plate 21 that receives the oil 9 flowing down from the plurality of oil return passages 2 a of the engine body 2 on the upper side of the auxiliary storage chamber 16 and guides it to the main storage chamber 15. The guide plate 21 is made of metal, and is provided integrally with the partition wall 13 in an annular shape over the entire periphery thereof. The guide plate 21 projects from the upper end of the partition wall 13 to the outer periphery and covers the upper side of the auxiliary storage chamber 16. It is formed in a shape that is located higher on the outer peripheral side. Specifically, the guide plate 21 is formed integrally with the partition wall 13 in the form of an upper end flange, and is slightly inclined upward on the outer periphery.

  Here, several oil return passages 2 a are provided in the vicinity of the left and right side surfaces of the cylinder block 3 so as to extend in the vertical direction (in the drawing of the embodiment, there are five, but two or three ones). The left and right side portions of the auxiliary storage chamber 16 are located below the lower ends of the oil return passages 2a.

  The guide plate 21 has an outer end portion of the portion located below the oil return passage 2a located outside the outer periphery of the lower end portion of the oil return passage 2a. Therefore, the guide plate 21 receives the oil 9 flowing down from the oil return passage 2a. The oil is reliably received at the upper side of the storage chamber 16 and guided to the main storage chamber 15, and the oil 9 that flows down from the inner portion other than the oil return passage 2 a of the engine body 2 and scatters to the side of the auxiliary storage chamber 16 is also received. Guide to chamber 15.

  The plurality of communication holes 25 are formed, for example, in rectangular holes, and are formed at appropriate intervals at the same height position. When the oil circulation device 10 is operated, the oil levels of the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16 change, but the plurality of communication holes 25 are always below the oil levels of the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16. It is formed at a height.

  Here, a plurality of overflow ports 35 for returning a predetermined amount or more of the oil 9 stored in the main storage chamber 15 to the sub storage chamber 16 are formed in the upper part of the partition wall 13. For example, the plurality of overflow ports 35 are each formed in a rectangular hole elongated in the horizontal direction, and are formed at appropriate intervals at the same height position. When the oil circulation device 10 is not in operation, the oil levels of the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16 are the same, and the plurality of communication holes 25 are positioned above the oil levels of the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16. It is formed at the height to be.

  The on-off valve 35 opens and closes the communication hole 25 due to a difference in oil level between the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16, that is, a difference in oil head pressure, and stops the engine 1 while the communication hole 25 is closed. When the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 is sometimes higher than the oil level of the sub storage chamber 16, the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 can be leaked from the communication hole 25 to the sub storage chamber 16.

  The valve member 30 comes into contact with the periphery of the communication hole 25 of the partition wall 13 from the main storage chamber 15 side to close the communication hole 25, rotates about the upper end side portion to the main storage chamber 15 side, and rotates to the communication hole 25. It consists of a hinged on-off valve that opens the valve. More specifically, a metal hinge support plate 31 is fixed to the outer surface of the upper portion of the communication hole 25 of the partition wall 13. The width of the hinge support plate 31 is larger than the width of the communication hole 25, and the lower end portion of the hinge support plate 31 slightly protrudes toward the upper end side of the communication hole 25.

  The valve member 30 is made of metal and has a horizontally-oriented pivot shaft 30 a attached to the upper end portion thereof, and both end portions of the pivot shaft 30 a are formed on the lower end portion of the hinge support plate 31. The engaging portion 31a is rotatably supported by the engaging portion 31a. The valve member 30 is formed in a rectangular plate having a width larger than the width of the communication hole 25, and both end portions and lower end portions of the valve member 30 are connected to both end portions and lower end portions of the communication holes 25 of the partition wall 13. The communication hole 25 is closed by contact.

The operation and effect of the oil circulation device 10 described above will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 3, when the engine 1 is stopped, substantially all of the oil 9 supplied into the engine main body 2 when the engine 1 was operated last time is collected in the oil pan 11, and the main storage chamber 15 and the sub-reservoir are stored. It is assumed that the oil level in the chamber 16 is the same, and the oil 9 is at a low temperature (for example, outside temperature). The plurality of valve members 30 are configured to close the plurality of communication holes 25 by their own weight.

  When the engine 1 starts from this state, as shown in FIG. 8, the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 is pumped from the strainer 19 by the oil pump and supplied into the engine body 2. Since the oil 9 does not return from the engine body 2 to the main storage chamber 15, the oil level in the main storage chamber 15 decreases and becomes lower than the oil level indicated by the phantom line of the sub storage chamber 19.

  Then, the plurality of valve members 30 are connected to the plurality of communication holes 25 by the difference in oil head pressure between the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16 so that the oil levels of the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16 are the same. The oil 9 in the auxiliary storage chamber 16 moves to the main storage chamber 15 through the plurality of communication holes 25. That is, the oil level in the auxiliary storage chamber 16 decreases.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9, the oil 9 starts flowing down from the engine body 2, but the oil 9 flowing down from the plurality of oil return passages 2 a is received by the guide plate 21 on the upper side of the sub-reservoir chamber 16 and is stored in the main storage The oil 9 that is guided to the chamber 15 and flows down from the inner portion other than the oil return passage 2 a of the engine body 2 and scatters toward the auxiliary storage chamber 16 is also received by the guide plate 21 and guided to the main storage chamber 15. That is, substantially all of the oil 9 that flows down from the engine body 2 returns to the main storage chamber 15.

  Here, since the oil 9 is low temperature and highly viscous for a while after the engine 1 is started, the amount of oil 9 returning to the main storage chamber 15 is less than the amount of oil 9 pumped from the main storage chamber 15. Similarly to the above, since the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 decreases and becomes lower than the oil level of the auxiliary storage chamber 16, the plurality of valve members 30 open the plurality of communication holes 25, and the auxiliary storage chamber 16. The oil 9 moves to the main storage chamber 15 through the plurality of communication holes 25.

  Thereafter, when the temperature of the oil 9 is increased and the viscosity is lowered, the amount of the oil 9 that returns to the main storage chamber 15 is temporarily larger than the amount of the oil 9 that is pumped from the main storage chamber 15. As shown, the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 becomes higher than the oil level of the sub storage chamber 16, and the plurality of valve members 30 communicate with each other due to the difference in oil head pressure between the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16. The hole 25 is closed, and the movement of the oil 9 passing through the plurality of communication holes 25 from the auxiliary storage chamber 16 to the main storage chamber 15 is blocked.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 10, when a certain amount of oil 9 or more is stored in the main storage chamber 15 (an amount corresponding to the oil level below the overflow port 35), the oil 9 exceeding the certain amount The oil is returned from the overflow port 35 to the auxiliary storage chamber 16 and maintained so that the amount of oil in the main storage chamber 15 does not increase excessively and becomes an appropriate amount.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11, the amount of oil 9 pumped from the main storage chamber 15 and the amount of oil 9 returning to the main storage chamber 15 become substantially the same, and the overflow port from the main storage chamber 15 to the sub storage chamber 16 There is no return of the oil 9 passing through 35, and here, the heated oil 9 other than the oil 9 in the auxiliary storage chamber 16 is actively circulated. Even after the amount of oil 9 pumped from the main storage chamber 15 and the amount of oil 9 returning to the main storage chamber 15 become substantially the same, acceleration or vibration acting on the oil pan 11 causes Although the oil 9 may move somewhat from the overflow port 35 to the auxiliary storage chamber 16, there is no problem as long as the proper amount is maintained.

  On the other hand, when the engine 1 is stopped, the oil 9 is returned to the main storage chamber 15 from the engine body 2, so that the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 becomes a certain amount or more. From the overflow port 35 to the auxiliary storage chamber 16. However, for a while after the engine 1 is stopped, the oil level in the main storage chamber 15 is higher than the oil level in the sub storage chamber 16, but the engine 1 is stopped and the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 has a plurality of communication holes. 25 gradually leaks from the auxiliary storage chamber 16 to the secondary storage chamber 16, and finally the oil levels of the main storage chamber 15 and the auxiliary storage chamber 16 become the same as shown in FIG.

  According to the oil circulation device 10, the oil guiding means 20 for guiding the oil 9 flowing down from the engine main body 2 to the main storage chamber 15 is provided, so that the engine main body after being supplied from the main storage chamber 15 to the engine main body 2 is provided. The oil 9 flowing down from 2 can be reliably returned to the main storage chamber 15 so as not to enter the sub-storage chamber 16, and is further a valve member 30 that opens and closes the communication hole 25. Since the valve member 30 that opens the communication hole 25 is provided only when the oil level is lower than the oil level of the auxiliary storage chamber 16, the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 decreases immediately after the engine 1 is started. When the oil level becomes lower than the oil level, the oil 9 in the auxiliary storage chamber 16 is moved from the communication hole 25 to the main storage chamber 15 so that the oil levels in the main storage chamber 15 and the auxiliary storage chamber 16 become the same. Only the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 including the oil 9 moved from the sub-storage chamber 16 to the main storage chamber 15 is circulated to raise the temperature. Therefore, the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 is The oil 9 is circulated with a slightly larger amount of oil 9, but the amount of oil is set to an appropriate amount so that the remaining oil 9 in the sub-reservoir 16 is unused and only the oil 9 in the main reservoir 15 is effective. Therefore, only the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 that has been heated up can be actively circulated, thereby reducing the friction loss of the engine 1 and improving the fuel consumption. realizable.

  Moreover, the oil 9 in the sub-reservoir chamber 16 is not used all the time, and as described above, when the engine 1 is started, a part of the oil 9 is moved to the main reservoir chamber 15. After the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 becomes higher than the oil level of the auxiliary storage chamber 16, the oil in the main storage chamber 15 is maintained until the oil levels of the main storage chamber 15 and the auxiliary storage chamber 16 become the same, particularly when the engine 1 is stopped. By returning 9 to the sub-storage chamber 16, when the engine 1 is started again, a part of the engine 1 can be moved to the main storage chamber 15. Therefore, the oil 9 in the oil pan 11 is totally removed. It can be used evenly and the overall deterioration of the oil 9 can be suppressed. In this way, it is possible to achieve both improvement in warm-up property and improvement in suppression of deterioration of the oil 9.

  The oil guiding means 20 includes a guide plate 21 that receives the oil 9 flowing down from the oil return passage 2a of the engine body 2 on the upper side of the sub storage chamber 16 and guides it to the main storage chamber 15. The auxiliary storage chamber 16 is provided, that is, the auxiliary storage chamber 16 is provided without being restricted by the structure of the engine body 2, and the oil 9 flowing from the engine body 2 after being supplied from the main storage chamber 15 to the engine body 2 is supplied. The main storage chamber 15 can be surely returned so as not to enter the sub storage chamber 16.

  Since the valve member 30 opens and closes the communication hole 25 due to the difference in the oil head pressure between the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16, the valve member 30 is not required to be controlled, that is, the valve member 30. The valve member 30 can be operated so as to open the communication hole 25 only when the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 is lower than the oil level of the sub storage chamber 16.

  When the valve member 30 closes the communication hole 25 and the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 is higher than the oil level of the auxiliary storage chamber 16 when the engine 1 is stopped, the main storage chamber 15 is communicated from the communication hole 25. The oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 is sub-stored until the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16 becomes the same when the engine 1 is stopped. The oil can be reliably returned to the chamber 16, and the oil 9 in the oil pan 11 can be reliably and uniformly used, and the overall deterioration of the oil 9 can be reliably suppressed.

  The valve member 30 comes into contact with the periphery of the communication hole 25 of the partition wall 13 from the main storage chamber 15 side to close the communication hole 25, and rotates to the main storage chamber 15 side around the upper end side portion to communicate with the communication hole 25. Since the valve member 30 has a simple structure, the communication hole 25 is opened only when the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 is lower than the oil level of the sub storage chamber 16, If the oil level in the main storage chamber 15 is higher than the oil level in the sub storage chamber 16 when the engine 1 is stopped, the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 can be surely leaked to the sub storage chamber 16 from the communication hole 25. it can.

  Since an overflow port 35 for returning a predetermined amount or more of the oil 9 stored in the main storage chamber 15 to the sub storage chamber 16 is formed in the upper part of the partition wall 13, the oil 9 in the sub storage chamber 16 is stored in the main storage chamber 25 through the communication hole 25. When moved to the chamber 15, the amount of oil in the main storage chamber 15 does not increase excessively and becomes an appropriate amount, so that reduction of friction loss and improvement of fuel consumption of the engine 1 can be surely realized. At the time of stoppage 1, a certain amount or more of the oil 9 can be positively returned to the auxiliary storage chamber 16, and thus the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 can be kept below a certain level. When the oil level of 15 is higher than the oil level of the sub-reservoir chamber 16, the valve member 30 does not increase the force for closing the communication hole 25 so that the oil 9 in the main reservoir chamber 15 is discharged from the communication hole 25. Vice saving It can be reliably leak into the chamber 16.

  Next, an oil circulation device in which the oil circulation device 10 is partially changed / added will be described. However, the configuration other than the changed / added configuration is basically the same as the configuration of the oil circulation device 10, and the same reference numerals as those in the above-described embodiment are given and the description thereof is omitted.

1] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the valve member 40 is obtained by changing the valve member 30, performs the same opening / closing operation as the valve member 30, and has the same function. The valve member 40 is made of a synthetic resin (for example, made of P-AM (nylon)) that can withstand corrosion by the oil 9, and is formed in a rectangular plate shape larger than the communication hole 25. The valve member 40 includes a hinge portion 40a formed to be slightly weaker than the central portion in the vertical direction, and includes a fixed portion 40b above the hinge portion 40a and a movable portion 40c below the hinge portion 40a. Have.

  The fixed part 40b is fixed to the upper part of the communication hole 25 of the partition wall 13 so that the lower part protrudes slightly to the upper end side of the communication hole 25, and the movable part 40c rotates around the hinge part 40a to communicate. The hole 25 is opened and closed, and both end portions and the lower end portion of the movable portion 40 c abut against both end portions and the lower end portion of the communication hole 25 of the partition wall 13 to close the communication hole 25.

2] As shown in FIG. 14, the valve member 50 is obtained by changing the valve member 30 and has the same function as the valve member 30. The valve member 50 is accommodated in a valve case 51 fixed from the main storage chamber 15 side around the communication hole 25 of the partition wall 13 and a valve movable space 50 a surrounded by the valve case 51 and the partition wall 13. And a valve body 52. The valve case 51 and the valve body 52 may be made of metal or synthetic resin (for example, P-AM (nylon)).

  The valve case 51 is formed in a cap shape that opens toward the partition wall 13, and a front end flange portion 51 a is fixed to the inner surface of the partition wall 13, and an oil passage port 51 c is formed in the back end wall portion 51 b. The valve body 52 is formed to be slightly thicker than the communication hole 25, and is accommodated in the valve movable space 50 a so as to be movable toward and away from the communication hole 25. The oil passage port 51 c is formed smaller than the valve body 52. The inner wall 51 of the valve case 51 is provided with a plurality of stopper portions 51d for locking the valve body 52 inside thereof, and the communication hole 25 is connected to the valve body 52 with the stopper portions 51d. The oil passage port 51c communicates.

  When the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 is lower than the oil level of the sub storage chamber 16, the valve body 52 moves toward the oil passage port 51c due to the difference in the oil head pressure between the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16. Then, the oil 9 in the auxiliary storage chamber 16 moves to the main storage chamber 15 through the communication hole 25 and the oil passage port 51c. On the other hand, when the oil level of the main storage chamber 15 is higher than the oil level of the sub storage chamber 16, the valve body 52 moves toward the communication hole 25 due to the difference in oil head pressure between the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16. It moves and abuts the communication hole 25 around the communication hole 25 of the partition wall 13 from the main storage chamber 15 side to close the communication hole 25.

3] As shown in FIG. 15, the partition wall 13 is provided with a heat insulating structure 60 for suppressing heat transfer from the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 to the oil 9 in the sub storage chamber 16. This heat insulating structure 60 has an annular metal partition auxiliary wall 61 disposed along the partition wall 13 on the side of the auxiliary storage chamber 16 (or on the side of the main storage chamber 15) with respect to the partition wall 13. A sealed space 60 a is formed between the auxiliary partition wall 61 and the partition wall 13, and a heat insulating material 62 is accommodated in the sealed space 60 a.

  As for the heat insulating material 62, first, the partition auxiliary wall 61 is assembled to the partition wall 13 to form the sealed space 60a, and then the sealed space 60a is filled with a molten foamed resin, and then foamed and cured. It can be easily configured. According to the oil circulation device 10 provided with the heat insulating structure 60, it is possible to suppress the heat from being transferred from the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 to the oil 9 in the sub storage chamber 16, so that the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 is more effective. Therefore, it is possible to further increase the warm-up property.

4] As shown in FIG. 16, the partition wall 65 is obtained by changing the partition wall 13, and heat is transmitted to the partition wall 65 from the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 to the oil 9 in the sub storage chamber 16. The heat insulation structure 70 which suppresses this is provided. The partition wall 65 includes a metal partition wall base 66 having the same shape as the lower end portion of the partition wall 13, and a partition wall body 67 having the same shape as a portion other than the lower end portion of the partition wall 13. The lower end portion of the partition wall main body 67 is fixed to the upper end portion of 66.

  The partition wall body 67 of the partition wall 65 constitutes a heat insulating structure 70, that is, the partition wall body 67 is made of a synthetic resin (for example, P-AM (nylon)) having extremely low thermal conductivity, and its thermal conductivity is low. 0.03 W / m / k), and the partition wall body 67 suppresses heat from being transferred from the oil 9 in the main storage chamber 15 to the oil 9 in the sub storage chamber 16. According to the oil circulation device 10 provided with the heat insulation structure 70, the same effect as the oil circulation device 10 of FIG.

5] As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the inclined guide member 80 that guides the oil 9 that flows down from the engine body 2 and enters the auxiliary storage chamber 16 through the overflow port 35 to the main storage chamber 15 is provided on the partition wall 13. The auxiliary storage chamber 16 is provided so as to face the overflow port 35.

  The inclined guide member 80 is made of metal, and has an inclined portion 80a that is formed to have the same width as the overflow port 35 and is opposed to each other, and a flange portion 80b that extends from both ends of the inclined portion 80a. The partition wall 13 is fixed to both side portions of the communication hole 25. The inclined portion 80a is formed in an inclined shape that approaches the communication hole 25 toward the lower side, and the lower end portion of the inclined portion 80a coincides with the lower end portion of the communication hole 25 (or is positioned above the lower end portion of the communication hole 25). )is doing.

  According to the oil circulation device 10 provided with the inclined guide member 80, the oil 9 that has entered the auxiliary storage chamber 16 from the overflow port 35 is reliably guided to the main storage chamber 15 without impeding the function of the overflow port 35. Thus, the oil 9 that has been supplied from the main storage chamber 15 to the engine main body 2 and then flows down from the engine main body 2 can be more reliably returned to the main storage chamber 15 so as not to enter the sub storage chamber 16.

  It should be noted that various changes and additions other than the disclosed items can be added without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, regarding the configuration of the main storage chamber 15 and the sub storage chamber 16, there is no need to make the sub storage chamber 16 annular, the oil pan body 12 is divided into two by a linear partition wall, and one of the main storage chambers is divided into the main storage chamber 15 and the other auxiliary storage chamber 16 may be used. Alternatively, both side portions in the oil pan main body 12 may be divided into three by two linear partition walls, the central partition portion may be the main storage chamber 15, and the two partition portions of the both side portions may be the sub storage chamber 16.

It is a perspective view from the lower part of the engine and oil circulation apparatus of a present Example. It is sectional drawing of an engine and an oil circulation device. It is sectional drawing of an oil circulation device (at the time of an engine stop). It is a top view of an oil circulation device. It is a notch perspective view of the principal part of an oil circulation device. It is sectional drawing of the principal part containing the valve member of an oil circulation device. It is a perspective view of the valve member etc. of FIG. It is sectional drawing of an oil circulation device (just after engine starting). It is sectional drawing of an oil circulation device (on the way of warm air). It is sectional drawing of an oil circulation apparatus (warming-up completion). It is sectional drawing of an oil circulation apparatus (warming-up completion). It is sectional drawing of the principal part containing the valve member which the oil circulation apparatus changed. It is a perspective view of the valve member of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the principal part containing the valve member which the oil circulation apparatus changed. It is a notch perspective view of the partition wall which the oil circulation apparatus changed. It is a notch perspective view of the partition wall which the oil circulation apparatus changed. It is sectional drawing of the principal part containing the inclination guide member which the oil circulation apparatus added. It is a perspective view of the principal part containing the inclination guide member of FIG. 17 of an oil circulation device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Engine 2 Engine main body 9 Oil 10 Oil circulation device 11 Oil pan 13, 65 Partition wall 15 Main storage chamber 16 Sub storage chamber 19 Strainer 20 Oil guide means 21 Guide plate 25 Communication hole 30, 40, 50 Valve member 35 Overflow port 60 , 70 Heat insulation structure 80 Inclined guide member

Claims (8)

An oil pan for the engine that has an oil pan on the lower side of the engine body, pumps the oil stored in the oil pan from the suction port by pump means, supplies it into the engine body, and then collects and circulates it in the oil pan In
The oil pan has a main storage chamber in which the suction port is installed, and a sub-storage chamber partitioned by a partition wall with respect to the main storage chamber,
Oil guiding means for guiding oil flowing down from the engine body to the main storage chamber;
A communication hole formed in the partition wall for communicating the main storage chamber and the sub-storage chamber;
A valve member for opening and closing the communication hole, the valve member opening the communication hole only when the oil level of the main storage chamber is lower than the oil level of the sub storage chamber;
An oil circulation device for an engine characterized by comprising:   2. The engine oil circulation device according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall is provided with a heat insulating structure that suppresses heat from being transferred from the oil in the main storage chamber to the oil in the sub storage chamber.   3. The engine oil according to claim 1, wherein the oil guiding means includes a guide plate that receives oil flowing down from an oil return passage of the engine body on the upper side of the auxiliary storage chamber and guides the oil to the main storage chamber. Circulation device.   The engine oil circulation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the valve member opens and closes the communication hole by a difference in oil head pressure between the main storage chamber and the sub storage chamber.   When the valve member closes the communication hole and the oil level of the main storage chamber is higher than the oil level of the sub storage chamber when the engine is stopped, the oil in the main storage chamber is sub-stored from the communication hole. The engine oil circulation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the engine oil circulation device is configured to be leakable into the chamber.   The valve member comes into contact with the periphery of the communication hole of the partition wall from the main storage chamber side to close the communication hole, and rotates to the main storage chamber side around the upper end side portion to open the communication hole. 6. The engine oil circulation device according to claim 5, comprising a hinge-type on-off valve.   The engine oil according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an overflow port for returning a predetermined amount or more of oil stored in the main storage chamber to the sub storage chamber is formed in an upper portion of the partition wall. Circulation device.   An inclined guide member is provided on the partition wall so as to face the overflow port from the sub-reservoir chamber, and guides the oil that flows down from the engine body and enters the sub-reservoir side from the overflow port to the main reservoir chamber. The engine oil circulation device according to claim 7.