JP2016070761A - Oil level inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an oil level inspection device for a transmission that is excellent in cost and reliability with a simplified structure.SOLUTION: An oil level inspection device for a transmission where oil is reserved in a casing comprises a fitted part provided to penetrate the casing at a position corresponding to a height of a fluid level of the oil and a fitting member constituted to be capable of fitting the fitted part tightly. The fitting member is provided with a transparent part constituted so that incident light from outside can reach the fluid level of the oil reserved in the casing when the fitting member fits the fitted part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present disclosure relates to an oil level inspection device for a transmission in which lubricating oil is stored in a casing.

  For example, a transmission constituting a power transmission path of a vehicle includes a large number of mechanical elements such as gears, shafts, and bearings. Lubricating oil is stored in the casing of the transmission for various purposes such as wear reduction and cooling between the mechanical elements. The lubricating oil is stored in, for example, an oil pan provided in the lower part of the casing, and is configured to be supplied to machine elements to be lubricated as necessary.

  In an automatic transmission that automatically performs a shifting operation, the lubricating oil is particularly referred to as ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid). In order to maintain the operation of the automatic transmission normally, it is important to appropriately secure the oil level of the ATF in the casing, and it is necessary to periodically check the oil level.

As a technique related to such an oil level check, for example, there is Patent Document 1. Although Patent Document 1 does not directly check the oil level, as a similar technique, a configuration including an opening provided on the bottom surface of the transmission and a plug portion configured to be able to close the opening is disclosed. Has been. In this configuration, it is described that when the plug portion is removed, the amount of oil can be inspected based on the flow velocity of the lubricating oil to be discharged.
Further, although Patent Document 2 is not intended for a transmission, a structure is disclosed in which the liquid level of oil stored in a crankcase of an internal combustion engine can be inspected through a transmission window.

JP 2005-61832 A JP 2008-14220 A

  However, in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a configuration for appropriately adjusting the flow rate of the lubricating oil to be discharged inside the plug portion, which is structurally complicated. Therefore, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases. Moreover, since it is necessary to remove a plug part from opening in order to confirm an oil amount, there exists a risk that a foreign material will approach into the open opening from the exterior at the time of work.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, since a transmission window for confirming the oil level in the case is fixed to the case, it cannot be detached. Therefore, even if the permeability of the transmission window is reduced due to, for example, aging, replacement is difficult and is not suitable for long-term use.

  In view of the above-described circumstances, at least one embodiment of the present invention aims to provide an oil level inspection device for a transmission that has a simple configuration and is excellent in cost and reliability.

(1) An oil level inspection device for a transmission according to at least one embodiment of the present invention is an oil level inspection device for a transmission in which oil is stored in a casing, and the oil level on the side surface of the transmission. At the position corresponding to the height, the fitted portion provided so as to penetrate the casing, and configured to be closely fitted into the fitted portion, and when fitted into the fitted portion, And a fitting member having a fitting member having a transmission part configured to allow incident light from the outside to reach the liquid level of the oil stored in the casing.

  According to the configuration of (1) above, the device has a structure in which the fitting member is fitted into the fitted portion provided in the casing of the transmission. Since the transmissive part of the fitting member is configured so that incident light from the outside can reach the liquid level of the oil stored in the casing when the fitting member is fitted into the fitted part. The operator can check the level of the oil stored in the casing from the outside. Such an oil level inspection device is simpler than the conventional inspection device and is superior in cost.

  In addition, since the apparatus does not involve the work of detaching the member during the oil level inspection work, there is no risk of foreign matter entering the casing from the outside, and the apparatus is excellent in reliability. Furthermore, since the transmission part is provided on the fitting member that can be detached from the fitting part, if the permeability is lowered due to deterioration over time, it can be easily replaced.

(2) In some embodiments, in the configuration of the above (1), the lower end of the transmission part is set to correspond to the liquid level of the oil stored in the casing.

  According to the configuration of (2) above, by setting the lower end of the permeation portion, which is the limit visible to the operator from the outside, so as to correspond to the liquid level of the oil stored in the casing, The operator can easily determine whether or not the oil level has reached the reference value.

(3) In some embodiments, in the configuration of the above (1), the lower end of the fitted portion is set to correspond to the liquid level of the oil stored in the casing.

  According to the configuration of (3) above, since the lower end of the fitted portion is set to correspond to the liquid level of the oil stored in the casing, when the fitting member is removed from the fitted portion In addition, the oil in the casing does not leak out. Therefore, for example, it is suitable when it is necessary to remove the fitting member from the fitting portion, as in the case where the oil supply port (inlet) for oil stored in the casing is also used. In this case, since the casing structure can be simplified by using both the fitted portion and the supply port, this is advantageous in terms of cost.

(4) In some embodiments, in any one of the above configurations (1) to (3), the fitting member is formed with a flange portion having the transmission member and a smaller diameter than the flange portion, And an insertion portion configured to be insertable into the fitted portion.

  According to the configuration of (4) above, when the transmission member is provided in the insertion portion by providing the transmission member in the large-diameter flange portion having high rigidity among the fitting members including the flange portion and the insertion portion. Compared with it, it is excellent in strength and good reliability can be obtained.

(5) In some embodiments, in any one of the configurations (1) to (4), the transmission is mounted below the cab in a cargo handling vehicle having a cab and a cargo handling portion on a frame. .

  According to the configuration of (5) above, the vehicle on which the transmission is mounted is a cargo handling vehicle (for example, a large commercial vehicle such as a truck) having a cab and a cargo handling portion on the frame. Since the transmission is mounted below the cab, the operator needs to access the transmission from below the vehicle when checking the oil level. Although there is only a limited space for the operator below the vehicle, the oil level inspection device according to the present configuration has a structure that allows the oil level of the oil to be easily confirmed from the outside without detaching the members. . Therefore, the burden on the operator when checking the oil level can be reduced.

  According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an oil level inspection device for a transmission that has a simple configuration and is excellent in cost and reliability.

1 is a schematic diagram of an overall configuration of a vehicle on which a transmission including an oil level inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted. It is a schematic diagram which extracts the transmission from the vehicle of FIG. 1 and shows from the side. It is sectional drawing which isolate | separates and shows the insertion member and to-be-inserted part of the oil level inspection apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view of the fitting member of FIG. It is an external view which shows the fitting member of FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the fitting member of FIG. 4 from an arrow direction C. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the oil level inspection apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the oil level inspection apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the oil level inspection method using the oil level inspection apparatus of FIG. 3 for every process.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in the embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are merely illustrative examples. Absent.
For example, expressions expressing relative or absolute arrangements such as “in a certain direction”, “along a certain direction”, “parallel”, “orthogonal”, “center”, “concentric” or “coaxial” are strictly In addition to such an arrangement, it is also possible to represent a state of relative displacement with an angle or a distance such that tolerance or the same function can be obtained.
In addition, for example, expressions representing shapes such as quadrangular shapes and cylindrical shapes not only represent shapes such as quadrangular shapes and cylindrical shapes in a strict geometric sense, but also within the range where the same effect can be obtained. A shape including a chamfered portion or the like is also expressed.
On the other hand, the expressions “comprising”, “comprising”, “comprising”, “including”, or “having” one constituent element are not exclusive expressions for excluding the existence of the other constituent elements.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the overall configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a transmission 10 equipped with an oil level inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the transmission 10 extracted from the vehicle 1 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the fitting member 24 and the fitted portion 22 of the oil level inspection apparatus 20 of FIG. 2 separately, and FIG. 4A is a fitting member of FIG. 4B is an external view showing the fitting member 24 of FIG. 4 from the arrow direction B, and FIG. 4C is a partial sectional view showing the fitting member 24 of FIG. 4 from the arrow direction C. FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an example of an oil level inspection apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an example of an oil level inspection apparatus 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention. 7 uses the oil level inspection device 20 of FIG. Oil level sight method is a flowchart of showing the process steps.

  The vehicle 1 is equipped with a transmission 10 including an oil level inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 1 is a cargo handling vehicle having a cab 3 on which a passenger can board and a cargo handling section 4 on which cargo handling can be loaded, for example, a truck vehicle. The transmission 10 is disposed below the cab 3.

  Since the vehicle 1 has such a configuration, when checking the oil level of the transmission 10, an operator accesses from below while entering the bottom of the vehicle body from the side of the vehicle 1 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1. Need and work space is very limited. Such a problem can be solved by an oil level inspection device described below.

The transmission 10 has a casing 12 formed integrally with the clutch housing. A predetermined amount of lubricating oil, that is, ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) is enclosed in the casing 12. The ATF acts as a refrigerant for operating a clutch to perform a shift, transmitting power to a torque converter, and preventing seizure of various machine elements.
The transmission 10 is, for example, a dual clutch transmission, and is configured by housing a mechanical configuration in the casing 12, but the detailed configuration is omitted.

  On the casing 12, an inlet part 14 for supplying ATF from the outside into the casing 12, a drain part 16 for discharging unnecessary ATF in the casing 12 to the outside, and an oil level check shown in FIG. Device 20.

  The inlet portion 14 is provided on an upper side surface of the transmission 10 (at least above the oil level inspection device 20), and has an inlet boss 14a provided so as to penetrate the casing 12, and an inlet plug that can be fitted into the inlet boss 14a. 14b. Inside the inlet boss 14a, a screw groove corresponding to a screw thread provided on the inlet plug 14b is provided, and the inlet plug 14b is fastened to the inlet boss 14a to tightly enclose the inside of the casing 12. ing.

  The drain portion 16 is provided at a lower portion of the side surface of the transmission 10 (at least below the oil level inspection device 20, preferably the bottom portion of the transmission 10 as shown in FIG. 3), and a drain boss 16 a provided so as to penetrate the casing 12. And a drain plug 16b that can be fitted into the drain boss 16a. Inside the drain boss 16a, a thread groove corresponding to a thread provided on the drain plug 16b is provided, and the drain plug 16b is fastened to the drain boss 16a so that the inside of the casing 12 is tightly sealed. doing.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the oil level inspection device 20 includes a fitted portion 22 provided in a boss shape on the side surface of the transmission 10 so as to pass through the casing 12, and a tight fit in the fitted portion 22. And a fitting member 24 configured in a plug shape so as to be fitted. A screw groove 23 corresponding to the screw thread 25 provided on the fitting member 24 (insertion portion 24 b) is provided inside the fitting portion 22, and the fitting member 24 is provided in the fitting portion 22. By being fastened, the casing 12 can be tightly sealed.

  The fitting member 24 includes a flange portion 24a and an insertion portion 24b having a larger diameter than the flange portion 24a. The flange part 24a and the insertion part 24b may be comprised by another member, and may be comprised integrally.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the flange portion 24a is formed in a polygonal shape so as to be fastened by a tool such as a wrench. A screw groove 25 corresponding to a screw thread 23 provided inside the fitted portion 22 is formed in the insertion portion 24b. Thereby, the insertion part 24b is comprised so that fastening to the to-be-inserted part 22 is possible by rotating the flange part 24a with tools, such as a wrench.

A transmissive member 26 made of a permeable material is accommodated inside the flange portion 24a. As the permeable material used for the permeable member 26, in addition to the above-described permeability, it is preferable that the material has excellent corrosion resistance against ATF so as to be stable over a long period of time. In consideration of the fact that the ATF becomes high during operation, it is preferable that the ATF is resistant to high temperatures. Specific examples of the permeable material include a glass material and an acrylic material. For the above reason, a glass material is more suitable.
As described above, the transmissive member 26 is configured to be able to ensure strength by being accommodated in the flange portion 24a formed with a large diameter, as compared with the case where the transmissive member 26 is accommodated in the insertion portion 24b formed with a small diameter.

The transmission member 26 has a substantially disk shape, and the periphery thereof is held inside the flange portion 24a via an O-ring 24c that functions as a cushioning material. The O-ring 24c is made of an elastic material such as rubber. However, it is preferable that the O-ring 24c has both corrosion resistance and high-temperature resistance like the permeable material. A snap ring 24d made of a metal material is provided on the insertion member 24b side of the transmission member 26.

The insertion portion 24 b has a substantially cylindrical shape, and as shown in FIG. 5, when the fitting member 24 is fitted into the fitted portion 22, incident light from the outside passes through the transmission member 26 and is a casing. 10 is configured to be able to reach the liquid level of ATF stored in 10. Therefore, the operator who performs the inspection can check the liquid level of the oil stored in the casing 12 from the outside. Such an oil level inspection device 20 is simpler than the conventional inspection device and is superior in cost.
In the following description, a region where the incident light from the outside of the transmissive member 26 can be transmitted is referred to as a transmissive portion 28.

  Such an inspection operation does not involve a member detaching operation (the fitting member 24 does not need to be removed from the fitted portion 22). Therefore, there is no risk of foreign matter entering the casing 12 from the outside during inspection, and the reliability is excellent. Furthermore, since the transmissive member 26 is provided on the fitting member 24 that can be detached from the fitted portion 22, it can be easily replaced if the permeability is lowered due to deterioration over time.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the lower end of the transmission part 28 is set so as to correspond to the liquid level of ATF stored in the casing 12. That is, in this embodiment, the reference of the liquid level of ATF in the casing 12 is set at the lower end of the transmission part 28. Thereby, when an operator visually recognizes the liquid level of ATF from the outside through the transmission part 28, the operator can easily determine whether or not the liquid level of ATF has reached the reference value.

Further, the liquid level of ATF may be set as shown in FIG. In this case, the liquid level of ATF is set so as to correspond to the lower end of the fitting portion 22 (insertion portion 24b). Therefore, when the fitting member 24 is removed from the fitted portion 22, the ATF in the casing 12 does not leak to the outside.
In particular, in FIG. 6, in order to prevent the ATF from leaking out of the ATF when the fitting member 24 is removed, the ATF liquid level is a recess provided in the screw groove 23 provided in the fitting portion 22. Of the shapes, it is set to correspond to the deepest part.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the inlet portion 14 is provided above the oil level inspection device 20 on the side surface of the casing 12 is illustrated. However, as shown in FIG. When set at the lower end, the oil level inspection device 20 may also be used as the inlet portion 14. That is, the inlet portion 14 may be removed, and the fitting member 24 may be removed from the fitted portion 22 during refueling to replenish ATF from the fitted portion 22. Thus, by combining the fitted portion 22 and the inlet portion 14, the structure of the casing 12 can be simplified, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

(Oil level check method)
Subsequently, an oil level inspection method using the oil level inspection apparatus 20 having the above configuration will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

  First, a stop state of the vehicle 1 on which the transmission 10 to be inspected is mounted is secured (step S1). For example, after the vehicle 1 is stopped on a horizontal road surface, the stopping state is ensured by generating a braking force by a parking brake (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1.

Subsequently, ATF oil temperature adjustment in the casing 12 of the transmission 10 is performed (step S2). The operation is performed, for example, by starting the engine of the vehicle 1 in a stopped state and performing a warm-up operation until the temperature of the ATF reaches a target temperature (for example, about 45 to 55 ° C.).
Note that the oil temperature of the ATF during the warm-up operation may be monitored by, for example, a temperature sensor installed in the casing 12.

  Subsequently, the ATF stored in the transmission 10 is filled into various hydraulic circuits included in the casing 12 (step S3). Specifically, for example, it is implemented by switching the shift lever for switching the driving mode while the driver steps on the foot brake. After the operation is finished, the driver returns the shift lever to the parking position and releases the foot brake.

  Thereafter, the operator checks the oil barrel of the ATF stored in the casing 12 using the oil level inspection device 20 having the above configuration (step S4), and determines whether or not the oil level is appropriate (step S5). ). In the oil level inspection device 20, the fitting member 24 is fitted into the fitted portion 22, and incident light from the outside can reach the liquid level of the oil stored in the casing 12 through the transmission portion 28. Therefore, the operator can visually recognize the liquid level of ATF stored in the casing 12 from the outside.

  In the example of FIG. 5, since the liquid level of ATF is set in advance with the lower end of the transmission part 28 as a reference, the operator evaluates the oil level of the ATF by confirming the position of the liquid level of the ATF with respect to the reference. can do. In the example of FIG. 6, since the ATF liquid level is set in advance with the lower end of the fitted portion 22 as a reference, the ATF oil level is determined by checking the position of the ATF liquid level with respect to the reference. It can be similarly evaluated.

When the oil level of ATF is not appropriate (step S5: NO), the operator performs adjustment by replenishing and discharging ATF so that the oil level in the casing 12 becomes appropriate (step S6). ATF replenishment is performed by temporarily opening the inlet portion 14. However, in the case of the configuration of FIG. 6, the oil level inspection device 20 also serves as the inlet portion 14. Replenishment may be performed via In addition, when discharging | emitting ATF, it is performed by open | releasing the drain part 16 provided in the casing 12 temporarily.
On the other hand, when the oil level of ATF is appropriate (step S5: YES), it is not necessary to make an adjustment, and a series of inspection work ends.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the oil level inspection device 20 of the transmission 10 with a simple configuration and excellent in cost and reliability is provided.

  The present disclosure can be used for an oil level inspection device and an oil level inspection method for a transmission in which oil is stored in a casing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Frame 3 Cab 4 Cargo handling part 10 Transmission 12 Casing 14 Inlet part 14a Inlet boss 14b Inlet plug 16 Drain part 16a Drain boss 16b Drain plug 20 Oil level inspection device 22 Insertion part 24 Insertion member 24a Flange part 24b Insertion Part 24c O-ring 24d Snap ring 26 Transmission member 28 Transmission part

Claims (5)

An oil level inspection device for a transmission in which oil is stored in a casing,
A fitting portion provided so as to penetrate the casing at a position corresponding to the liquid level of the oil on the side surface of the transmission;
It is configured so that it can be tightly fitted in the fitted part, and is configured so that incident light from the outside can reach the liquid level of the oil stored in the casing when fitted in the fitted part. An oil level inspection device for a transmission, comprising: a fitting member having a transmission portion.   The transmission oil level inspection device according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the transmission portion is set to correspond to a liquid level of oil stored in the casing.   2. The transmission oil level inspection device according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the fitted portion is set so as to correspond to a level of oil stored in the casing. The fitting member is
A flange portion having the transmission member;
The transmission oil level inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an insertion portion that is smaller in diameter than the flange portion and configured to be inserted into the fitted portion. . 5. The transmission oil level inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission is mounted below the cab of a cargo handling vehicle having a cab and a cargo handling portion on a frame. 6.

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