JP2009013820A - Drain plug and oil pan structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily change oil in double-tank oil pan structure capable of achieving early warming up during cold starting, and to provide a drain plug capable of equalizing progress of degradation of oil as much as possible. <P>SOLUTION: The drain plug (7) mounted in a double-tank oil pan (1) is provided with an opening/closing mechanism for a passage (4b) connecting the inside of an oil separator (4) to the outside thereof. The opening/closing mechanism is mainly composed of a spool valve (13), a storage section (7a) formed inside of the drain plug (7) and storing the spool valve (13), and a passage (7b) in the plug, formed to cross the storage section (7a). The spool valve (13) projects/recedes into/from the passage (7b) in the plug according to an oil level difference between a first chamber (5) and a second chamber (6) to thereby open/close the passage (4b). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a drain plug used in a two-tank oil pan structure partitioned into a first chamber and a second chamber by an oil pan separator.

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

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

JP 2003-222012 A

  Such an oil pan structure can be a two-tank type oil pan structure including a first chamber in which a strainer suction port is arranged and a second chamber located around the first chamber. The first chamber and the second chamber communicate with each other according to the temperature of the oil pan, particularly the oil in the first chamber, and the oil in the first chamber and the second chamber is used for lubrication after the warm-up is completed. It has become. However, such an oil pan structure has a problem that it is difficult to change oil in both the first chamber and the second chamber. For example, when an oil change operation is to be performed using an oil changer, the tip of the oil changer is located in one of the first chamber and the second chamber, making it difficult to completely replace the oil in both chambers. It becomes. For example, when the tip of the oil changer is positioned in the outer second chamber, the oil in the second chamber can be extracted, but it is difficult to completely extract the oil in the first chamber. In addition, it is difficult for new oil injected from the oil changer to flow into the second inner chamber. Further, when oil is to be discharged from the drain provided in the oil pan located outside, it is difficult to extract the oil from the first inner chamber. Further, for example, when oil is injected from an oil filler hole provided in a head cover or the like, the oil is stored in the first inner chamber, but the oil is difficult to flow into the second chamber. As described above, the conventional two-tank oil pan structure has a problem that it is difficult to change oil in both chambers.

  Further, in the conventional two-tank type oil pan structure, there is a possibility that the oil in the first chamber used for lubrication from the cold start and the progress of deterioration are accelerated.

  Therefore, the present invention makes it easy to change oil in a two-tank oil pan structure that can realize early warm-up at the time of cold start, and further to make the progress of oil deterioration as uniform as possible. It is an object to provide a drain plug that can be used.

  In order to achieve such a problem, the drain plug of the present invention has an outer drain hole provided in an oil pan attached to the lower part of the engine, and an inner drain hole provided in an oil pan separator arranged in the oil pan. A drain plug that is closed, and the drain plug includes an opening / closing mechanism for a passage that communicates the inside and the outside of the oil pan separator (Claim 1). With the passage opening / closing mechanism having such a configuration, oil can be circulated between the first chamber formed inside the oil pan separator and the second chamber formed outside the oil pan separator. Thereby, the deterioration degree of the oil inside and outside the oil pan separator can be made closer to uniform. Further, by operating the opening / closing mechanism based on the oil level in the first chamber, the oil level in the second chamber, and the like, the oil inside and outside the oil pan separator can be discharged and injected when the oil is changed. Further, since the drain plug can close the outer drain hole and the inner drain hole at the same time, the oil inside and outside the oil pan separator can be discharged by removing the drain plug.

  In such a drain plug, the opening / closing mechanism includes a plug inner passage communicating with a passage communicating the inside and the outside of the oil pan separator, a hydraulic pressure of oil stored outside the oil pan separator, and an oil pressure stored inside. And a mover that moves in and out of the passage in the plug due to a difference from the hydraulic pressure. The plug internal passage is opened and closed by the hydraulic pressure difference between the inside and outside of the oil pan separator. For example, the hydraulic pressure of oil stored outside the oil pan separator is applied to the lower side of the moving element, and the hydraulic pressure of oil stored inside the oil pan separator is applied to the upper side of the moving element. In such a configuration, when the outer oil level is higher than the inner oil level, the slider can be pushed up into the plug passage to close the plug passage. Thereby, an oil pan separator can be made into the state divided into inside and outside. On the other hand, if the mover moves downward according to the oil level difference, the passage in the plug can be opened and the oil inside and outside the oil pan separator can be circulated.

  Other configurations of the opening / closing mechanism may include a valve body that closes communication between the inside and outside of the oil pan separator, an actuator that operates the valve body, and a control unit of the actuator ( Claim 3). If comprised in this way, the communication state inside and outside an oil pan separator can be arbitrarily changed by control of a control part. For example, when the engine is warmed up, the oil pan separator is separated from the inside and outside, and only the oil inside the small-capacity oil pan separator is used for circulation, so that the early warming can be performed.

  Further, the drain plug provided with such a control unit includes an oil level sensor that measures the level of the oil level inside the oil pan separator, and the control unit is based on information obtained from the oil level sensor. An opening / closing command can be issued to the actuator. In the two-tank type oil pan, the oil inside the oil pan separator is sucked up by the strainer. For this reason, the oil level inside the oil pan separator may decrease during engine startup.In such a case, if the oil pan separator communicates with the inside and outside of the oil pan separator in accordance with a command from the control unit, the oil outside the oil pan Can be refilled inside.

  An oil pan structure according to the present invention includes an oil pan attached to a lower portion of an engine and provided with an outer drain hole, and an oil pan separator disposed in the oil pan and provided with an inner drain hole, wherein the outer drain hole and the inner drain hole are provided. A drain plug as described above can be attached to the structure (Claim 5).

  According to the present invention, the drain plug attached to the two-tank type oil pan is provided with the passage opening / closing mechanism for communicating the inside and outside of the oil pan separator. In addition, the circulation of oil inside and outside the oil pan separator can be promoted.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the scales of the parts shown in the drawings may not match.

  First, a two-tank oil pan 1 having the oil pan structure of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a two-tank oil pan 1. The two-tank oil pan 1 attached to the lower side of the engine block 2 has an oil pan separator 4 mounted inside the oil pan 3. The oil pan separator 4 partitions the inside of the oil pan 3 into a first chamber 5 communicating with the inside of the engine block 2 and a second chamber 6 formed so as to cover the first chamber 5. That is, a first chamber 5 inside the oil pan separator 4 and a second chamber 6 outside are formed.

  An outer drain hole 3 a is provided at the bottom of the oil pan 3. An inner drain hole 4 a is provided at the bottom of the oil pan separator 4. At the bottom of the oil pan separator 4 in which the inner drain hole 4a is formed, plates are alternately arranged so that a passage 4b that communicates the inside and outside of the oil pan separator 4 is formed. The outer drain hole 3a and the inner drain hole 4 have a positional relationship in which their center lines coincide. A drain plug 7 is attached to the outer drain hole 3 a and the inner drain hole 4 a from the lower side of the oil pan 3. That is, the outer drain hole 3 a and the inner drain hole 4 a are closed by the single drain plug 7.

  A first thermostat 8 having a temperature sensing portion arranged on the cylinder block 2 side is attached to an oil receiving surface 4c provided on the oil pan separator 4 and from which oil returned from the cylinder block 2 side falls. In addition, a second thermostat 9 having a temperature sensing portion disposed in the first chamber 5 is attached to the side surface of the oil pan separator 4. The first thermostat 8 and the second thermostat 9 return from the engine block 2 side and are opened when the oil stored in the first chamber 5 reaches a predetermined temperature, and the first and second chambers 6 and 6 are opened. Create a state where the oil inside can circulate.

  A suction port 10 a of the strainer 10 is disposed in the first chamber 5. The oil in the first chamber 5 is supplied to each part of the engine by driving the oil pump 11. Further, the oil receiving surface 4 c of the oil pan separator 4 is provided with an insertion port 4 c 1 for the oil level gauge 12. The oil level gauge 12 is inserted into the second chamber 6. When changing the oil, the oil changer 16 is inserted into the insertion port 4c1 in place of the oil level gauge 12, and the oil is discharged and injected.

  Here, the structure of the drain plug 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. The drain plug 7 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism for a passage 4 b that communicates the inside and outside of the oil pan separator 4. The opening / closing mechanism is mainly constituted by a spool valve 13, a storage portion 7a formed inside the drain plug 7, and storing the spool valve 13, and a plug passage 7b formed so as to cross the storage portion 7a. The spool valve 13 plays a role of the mover of the present invention.

  When the drain plug 7 is attached to the two-tank oil pan 1, the storage portion 7 a includes a first opening 7 a 1 that opens into the first chamber 5 formed inside the oil pan separator 4, and an outside of the oil pan separator 4. A second opening 7a2 communicating with the formed second chamber 6 is provided.

  The plug inner passage 7b is formed at a position that communicates with the passage 4b formed at the bottom of the oil pan separator 4 when the drain plug 7 is mounted on the two-tank oil pan 1.

  The spool valve 13 has a shape in which an upper pressure receiving portion 13a that receives the oil pressure of the oil in the first chamber 5 and a lower pressure receiving portion 13b that receives the oil pressure of the oil in the second chamber 6 are joined by a shaft 13c. The lower pressure receiving portion 13b is accommodated in a lower portion of the accommodating portion 7a divided by the plug internal passage 7b, and the plug internal passage 7b side is determined by the difference between the hydraulic pressure in the first chamber 5 and the hydraulic pressure in the second chamber 6. Infested. When the lower pressure receiving portion 13b is pushed out toward the plug inner passage 7b, the passage 4b is blocked and the internal and external separation of the oil pan separator 4 is maintained. The lower pressure receiving portion 13b has a role of a weight. By adjusting the weight of the lower pressure receiving portion 13b, the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the oil pan separator 4, that is, the lower pressure receiving portion 13b caused by the oil level difference between the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 The state can be adjusted.

  A head portion 7d is formed on the drain plug 7, and a thread 7c that is screwed with a thread provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer drain hole 4a is formed on the outer surface in the vicinity of the head portion 7d. .

  The drain plug 7 configured as described above is attached to the two-tank oil pan 1 as shown in FIGS. That is, a seal member 14 with a lip is attached to the inner drain hole 4a, a gasket 15 is interposed between the head portion 7d and the oil pan 3, and the screw 7c is a screw provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer drain hole 4a. And screw it on. 3 shows a state in which the lower pressure receiving portion 13b is accommodated in the lower accommodating portion 7a and the passage 4b is opened, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the lower pressure receiving portion 13b approaches the plug inner passage 7b. 4b shows a blocked state.

  The state of the operation of the drain plug 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 showing the oil level state in the two-tank oil pan 1 that changes every moment according to the state of the engine.

  FIG. 5 shows the oil level in the two-tank oil pan 1 when the engine is stopped. When the engine is stopped, the oil level in the first chamber 5 and the oil level in the second chamber 6 are substantially the same level. Accordingly, the hydraulic pressure in the second chamber applied to the lower pressure receiving portion 13b and the hydraulic pressure in the first chamber 5 applied to the upper pressure receiving portion 13a are substantially the same. Therefore, the spool valve 13 moves downward due to its own weight, the lower pressure receiving portion 13b is accommodated in the accommodating portion 7a below the plug inner passage 7b, and the passage 4b is opened. Thereby, the communication between the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 is ensured when the engine is stopped, and the mixing of the oil in the first chamber 5 and the oil in the second chamber 6 is promoted. As a result, it is possible to suppress the contamination and deterioration of only the oil in one room. Moreover, since the oil level in the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 5 can be made substantially the same, the accuracy of oil amount confirmation using the oil level gauge 12 can be improved when the engine is stopped.

  FIG. 6 shows the oil level in the two-tank oil pan 1 immediately after the engine is started. When the engine is started, the oil pump 11 is driven and the oil in the first chamber 5 is sucked up. Thereby, the oil in the 1st chamber 5 reduces and the oil level of the 1st chamber 5 falls. In this way, if there is a difference between the level of the oil level in the first chamber 5 and the level of the oil level in the second chamber 6, a difference in the lift of the spool valve 13 occurs. That is, there is a difference between the hydraulic pressure acting on the upper pressure receiving portion 13a and the hydraulic pressure acting on the lower pressure receiving portion 13b, and a force corresponding to the hydraulic pressure difference acts on the spool valve 13 to push up the spool valve 13. When the spool valve 13 is pushed up and the lower pressure receiving portion 13b is pushed out to the plug internal passage 7b as shown in FIG. 4, the passage 4b is blocked and the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 are divided. As a result, the oil in the first chamber 5 having a small capacity is used for lubrication of each part of the engine, and it is possible to realize an early temperature rise of the oil and consequently an early warm-up of the engine.

  FIG. 7 shows the state of the two-tank oil pan 1 when the oil changer 16 is inserted into the insertion port 4b1 in place of the oil level gauge 12 and new oil is being injected. The tip of the oil changer 16 is positioned near the bottom in the second chamber 6. In a state where the oil in the two-tank oil pan 1 is removed, the drain plug 7 is in a state where the passage 4b is opened. In this state, when new oil is injected from the oil changer 16, the oil in the second chamber 6 starts to increase. When the oil is injected to the position of the passage 4b, the oil enters the first chamber 5 through the passage 4b. Also flows in. Thereafter, the level of the oil level in the first chamber 5 and the level of the oil level in the second chamber 6 increase almost similarly. At this time, the hydraulic pressure applied to the upper pressure receiving portion 13a and the hydraulic pressure applied to the lower pressure receiving portion 13b do not differ so much, and the lower pressure receiving portion 13b is not pushed up to block the plug internal passage 7b. In this manner, new oil can be injected into the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 almost evenly.

  FIG. 8 shows a state of the two-tank oil pan 1 when new oil is injected from an oil filler provided on a cylinder head cover (not shown). In the state where the oil in the two-tank oil pan 1 is removed, the drain plug 7 is in a state where the passage 4b is opened as described above. The oil injected from the oil filler flows down through the cylinder head and the cylinder block 2 and first flows into the first chamber 5. Oil that has flowed into the first chamber 6 also flows into the second chamber 6 through the open passage 4b. Thereafter, the level of the oil level in the first chamber 5 may temporarily become higher than the level of the oil level in the second chamber 6. However, when the oil level in the first chamber 5 is high, the oil pressure applied to the upper pressure receiving portion 13a is large, the spool valve 13 is pushed down, and the passage 4b is opened. It becomes. Since the oil level gauge 12 is inserted into the second chamber 6 side outside the oil pan separator 4, the oil level in the two-tank oil pan 1 can be accurately grasped. That is, if the level of the oil level in the second chamber 6 is equal to or higher than the specified value, the level of the oil level in the first chamber 5 is considered to be higher than the specified value.

  When new oil is injected from the oil filler without using the oil changer 16, the drain plug 7 is removed from the two-tank oil pan 1 prior to this. If the drain plug 7 is removed, the outer drain hole 3a and the inner drain hole 4a are opened, so that almost all of the oil in the two-tank oil pan 1 can be extracted. When oil is extracted using the oil changer 16, the oil in the second chamber 6 is first extracted. Thereby, the level of the oil level in the second chamber 6 falls below the level of the oil level in the first chamber 5. Accordingly, the hydraulic pressure applied to the lower pressure receiving portion 13b becomes smaller than the hydraulic pressure applied to the upper pressure receiving portion 13a, the spool valve 13 is pushed down, and the passage 4b is opened. That is, it becomes the same state as when new oil is injected from the oil filler shown in FIG.

Table 1 summarizes the states of the drain plug 7 and the two-tank oil pan 1 as described above together with their effects.

  That is, the passage 7b in the plug is blocked while the engine is operating, and the oil flow between the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 is restricted. Thereby, a small amount of oil in the first chamber 5 is mainly used for lubricating each part of the engine. As a result, it is possible to ensure the function of the two-tank oil pan that enables early warm-up. After the warm-up is completed, the first thermostat 8 and the second thermostat 9 are opened, and the oil in the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 can circulate.

  Further, when the engine is stopped, the plug internal passage 7b is opened, and the oil flow between the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 is allowed. As a result, even if the warm-up completion state is not reached and the use frequency of the oil in the first chamber 5 is increased, the mixing of the oil in both chambers is promoted, and the contamination and deterioration of the oil are leveled. Can be

  When the oil changer 16 is not used (not used) at the time of oil exchange, if the drain plug 7 is removed, almost all of the oil in the two-tank oil pan 1 can be extracted. That is, the oil in the first chamber 5 can also be discharged. Further, when oil is discharged using the oil changer 16, the plug internal passage 7b is opened due to the difference in the oil level between the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6, so that the oil in the first chamber 5 is opened. Can also be discharged.

  When injecting oil (not used) without using the oil changer 16, the oil level in the first chamber 5 rises first, so the plug internal passage 7 b can be maintained in the open state, and the first chamber 5 and the oil level of the 2nd chamber 6 can be made into almost the same level. Further, when oil is injected using the oil changer 16, the oil can be injected so that the level difference between the oil levels of the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 does not become so large. Thereby, the oil level of the 1st chamber 5 and the 2nd chamber 6 can be made into the substantially the same level.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the drain plug 7b may have a structure in which a spring 17 that biases the spool valve 13 downward is attached to the upper side of the upper pressure receiving portion 13a. By the weight of the spring 17 and the lower pressure receiving portion 13b, it is possible to adjust how much the hydraulic pressure difference makes the in-plug passage 7b open.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. A two-tank oil pan 51 having the oil pan structure of the present invention has the same configuration as the two-tank oil pan 1 of the first embodiment. Accordingly, common components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and detailed description thereof is omitted. However, in the drain plug 52 attached to the two-tank oil pan 51, the passage 52a is formed in the drain plug 52, so that the passage 4b is formed in the oil pan separator 4 in the present embodiment. Not.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the configuration of the drain plug is different. That is, the drain plug 7 according to the first embodiment uses the hydraulic pressure difference caused by the difference between the oil level in the first chamber 5 and the oil level in the second chamber 6 to make the first chamber 5 and the second chamber. The communication state with 6 is adjusted. On the other hand, the drain plug 52 of this embodiment adjusts the communication state between the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 by an actuator 54 controlled by an ECU (Electronic control unit) 53.

  The structure of such a drain plug 52 will be described with reference to FIGS. The drain plug 52 is formed with a passage 52a that communicates the inside and outside of the oil pan separator 4, and includes an opening / closing mechanism for the passage 52a. As shown in the figure, the passage 52 a is opened to the first chamber 5 and is formed so as to communicate with the inside of the drain plug 52. The opening / closing mechanism mainly includes a valve body 55, an actuator 54 for operating the valve body 55, and an in-plug passage 52b formed so as to be continuous with the passage 52a.

  The actuator 54 includes an electromagnetic coil 54a and a mover 54b. The mover 54b is stored in a storage portion 52d formed inside the drain plug 52, and the electromagnetic coil 54a is embedded in the wall of the storage portion 52e. A shaft 54c extends from the movable element 54b, and a valve body 55 is attached to the other end of the shaft 54c. The valve body 55 is disposed so as to be positioned on the first chamber 5 side, and the shape thereof is an umbrella shape. When such a valve body 55 comes into close contact with the mouth of the passage 52a, the valve is closed. The valve body 55 is pulled in when the electromagnetic coil 54a is energized, and is in a closed state. A spring 56 is incorporated on the lower side of the movable element 54b in the storage portion 52e. When the energization of the electromagnetic coil 54a is released, the movable element 54b is pushed up, and the valve body 55 is opened.

  An oil level sensor 57 that measures the oil level in the first chamber 5 is attached to the oil pan separator 4. The oil level sensor 57 is electrically connected to the ECU 53. Based on the information obtained from the oil level sensor 57, the ECU 53 stops energization of the actuator 54 and determines the valve body 55 when the oil level in the first chamber 5 is determined to have dropped to a dangerous level. The valve is opened and the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 are communicated. Here, the danger level is the level of the oil level at which it is expected that the amount of oil necessary to maintain an appropriate lubrication state of each part of the engine cannot be secured. Oil in the first chamber 5 is supplied to each part of the engine. When the amount of oil in the first chamber 5 decreases, the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 are forcibly connected. If so, the amount of oil can be secured.

  Such a drain plug 52 has a head portion 52d formed in the same manner as the drain plug 7 of the first embodiment, and a screw provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer drain hole 4a on the outer surface in the vicinity of the head portion 52d. A thread 52c that is threadedly engaged with the thread is formed.

  The drain plug 52 configured as described above is controlled to open and close the valve body 55 by the ECU 53 so that the operation shown in Table 1 can be realized. That is, during the engine operation, the actuator 54 is energized and the valve body 55 is closed as shown in FIG. Thereby, a small amount of oil in the first chamber 5 is mainly used for lubricating each part of the engine. As a result, it is possible to ensure the function of the two-tank oil pan that enables early warm-up. Further, when the engine is stopped, the energization to the actuator 54 is cut off, the movable element 54b is pushed up by the spring 56, and the valve body 55 is opened as shown in FIG. That is, when the engine is stopped, the first chamber 5 and the second chamber 6 are in communication. As a result, even when oil is exchanged, almost all of the oil in the two-tank oil pan 51 can be exchanged regardless of whether or not an oil change is used.

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

It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of a two tank type oil pan. It is explanatory drawing which showed the structure by making a drain plug into a cross section. It is explanatory drawing which showed the drain plug of the state with which the 2 tank type oil pan was mounted | worn and the 1st chamber and the 2nd chamber were connected. It is explanatory drawing which showed the drain plug of the state with which the communication with the 1st chamber and the 2nd chamber was interrupted | blocked with the 2 tank type oil pan. It is explanatory drawing which shows the oil level in a two tank type oil pan when an engine has stopped. It is explanatory drawing which shows the oil level in the two tank type oil pan immediately after engine starting. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of a two-tank type oil pan when an oil changer is inserted in an insertion port and injection | pouring of new oil is performed. The state of the two-tank oil pan when new oil is being injected from the oil filler is shown. It is explanatory drawing which showed the structure by making another drain plug into a cross section. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a two-tank oil pan of Example 2. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which showed the structure by making the drain plug of Example 2 into a cross section. It is explanatory drawing which showed the drain plug of the state with which the 2 tank type oil pan was mounted | worn and the 1st chamber and the 2nd chamber were connected. It is explanatory drawing which showed the drain plug of the state with which the communication with the 1st chamber and the 2nd chamber was interrupted | blocked with the 2 tank type oil pan.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 51 Two-tank type oil pan 2 Engine block 3 Oil pan 3a Outer drain hole 4 Oil pan separator 4a Inner drain hole 4b Oil receiving surface 4b1 Insertion port 5 First chamber 6 Second chamber 7, 52 Drain plug 7b Plug passage 8 First 1 Thermostat 9 Second Thermostat 10 Strainer 10a Suction Port 11 Oil Pump 12 Oil Level Gauge 13 Spool Valve 14 Seal Member 15 Gasket 16 Oil Changer 17 Spring 53 ECU
54 Actuator 56 Spring

Claims (5)

A drain plug for closing an outer drain hole provided in an oil pan attached to the lower part of the engine, and an inner drain hole provided in an oil pan separator arranged in the oil pan,
The drain plug is provided with a path opening / closing mechanism for communicating the inside and the outside of the oil pan separator. The drain plug according to claim 1, wherein
The opening / closing mechanism includes a plug internal passage communicating with a passage communicating between the inside and the outside of the oil pan separator;
A mover that appears and disappears into the plug passage due to the difference between the hydraulic pressure of oil stored outside the oil pan separator and the hydraulic pressure of oil stored inside;
A drain plug characterized by comprising The drain plug according to claim 1, wherein
The drain plug according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing mechanism includes a valve body that blocks communication between the inside and the outside of the oil pan separator, an actuator that operates the valve body, and a controller of the actuator. The drain plug according to claim 3,
An oil level sensor that measures the level of the oil level inside the oil pan separator;
The drain plug according to claim 1, wherein the controller issues an open / close command to the actuator based on information obtained from the oil level sensor. An oil pan attached to the lower part of the engine and provided with an outer drain hole;
An oil pan separator disposed in the oil pan and provided with an inner drain hole,
An oil pan structure in which the drain plug according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is attached to the outer drain hole and the inner drain hole.

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