JP2018127992A - Oil separator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restrain clogging of a filter element.SOLUTION: An oil separator mounted in the vicinity of an internal combustion engine includes a filter element which allows gas to pass therethrough and captures oil in an inside thereof when the gas containing the oil flows in, a drain port which delivers the oil captured by the filter element, and a vibrating part which vibrates the filter element.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present disclosure relates to an oil separator attached to a vehicle.

  Conventionally, in a breather device for an internal combustion engine, blow-by gas is recirculated to an intake passage through a blow-by gas recirculation passage provided with an oil separator. Further, the oil separated by the oil separator is returned to the oil pan through the oil drain pipe from the drain port of the oil separator (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-70083

  However, when the filter element of the oil separator is clogged, the pressure inside the oil separator becomes high and the relief valve opens. As a result, the blow-by gas that has flowed into the oil separator is not filtered by the filter element, and there is a problem that the blow-by gas returns directly to the internal combustion engine from the relief valve.

  An object of this indication is to provide the oil separator which can suppress clogging of a filter element.

  One form of the present disclosure is an oil separator that is mounted around an internal combustion engine, and when a gas containing oil flows in, the filter element that allows the gas to pass therethrough but traps the oil therein, and traps in the filter element Directed to an oil separator including a drain port for discharging the oil and a vibration unit that vibrates the filter element.

  According to this indication, an oil separator which can control clogging of a filter element can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an oil separator according to the present disclosure and the periphery thereof. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first configuration example of the oil separator in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a second configuration example of the oil separator in FIG. 1.

  Hereinafter, the oil separator of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<1. Oil separator and surrounding configuration>
In FIG. 1, an internal combustion engine E is shown. In the internal combustion engine E, a part of fuel and air (hereinafter referred to as an air-fuel mixture) leaks from the combustion chamber through the gap between the piston and the cylinder and leaks into the crank chamber. Hereinafter, blow-by gas refers to a mixture of air-fuel mixture and oil in the crank chamber.

  If the blow-by gas remains in the crank chamber, there is a risk of corrosion of metal parts in the crank chamber. Therefore, a blow-by gas recirculation path C3 is provided between the crank chamber and the intake path C1 of the internal combustion engine E. By setting the intake passage C1 side to a negative pressure, the blow-by gas is recirculated from the crank chamber to the intake passage C1 via the blow-by gas recirculation passage C3.

  When the oil contained in the blow-by gas flows into the combustion chamber via the blow-by gas recirculation path C3 and the intake path C1, abnormal combustion due to the flowed-in oil may occur in the combustion chamber. Therefore, the oil separator 1 in fluid communication with the blow-by gas recirculation path C3 is fixed to the internal combustion engine E, for example. The oil separator 1 separates the oil contained in the blow-by gas that has flowed in and discharges it to the oil discharge passage C5. The discharged oil flows into an oil sump provided at the bottom of the crank chamber via an oil discharge passage C5. On the other hand, the blow-by gas from which the oil has been removed is returned to the intake passage C1 via the blow-by gas recirculation passage C3.

<2. First configuration example of oil separator>
Next, a first configuration example (hereinafter referred to as an oil separator 1a) of the oil separator 1 of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, an arrow z indicates a vertically upward direction. The oil separator 1 a includes a housing 11, a vibration exciter 13 a, a filter element 15, and a relief valve 17.

The casing 11 generally accommodates the excitation unit 13a and the filter element 15.
An inflow port P <b> 1 is formed at the center of the bottom of the housing 11. The inflow port P1 is connected to the upstream side of the blowby gas recirculation path C3. Further, a drain port P <b> 3 is formed in the outer edge portion of the bottom portion of the housing 11. The drain port P3 is connected to the oil drain passage C5. A discharge port P <b> 5 is formed on the side surface of the housing 11. The discharge port P5 is connected to the downstream side of the blowby gas recirculation path C3.

  The vibration unit 13a is, for example, an annular vibrator, and vibrates at a predetermined frequency by an electric signal from the ECU 19.

  The filter element 15 includes a filter paper that is bent into a chrysanthemum shape or the like and is wound into a cylindrical shape in a plan view from the vertically upward direction.

  The vibration unit 13a and the filter element 15 are stacked and fixed between the upper surface and the bottom surface of the housing 11 in the order of the vibration unit 13a and the filter element 15, for example. At this time, the vibration section 13a and the filter element 15 are (1) so that the inflow port P1 of the housing 11 is included in the inner peripheral surface thereof in plan view from the vertically upward direction, and (2) It arrange | positions so that the vibration part 13a may not cover the whole region of the drain port P3.

  The relief valve 17 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 11 and is connected to a secondary flow path C7 that is in fluid communication with the discharge port P5. The relief valve 17 opens when the pressure inside the filter element 15 exceeds a predetermined value, and releases the pressure inside the filter element 15 to the outside.

<3. Operation of Oil Separator (First Configuration Example)>
The oil separator 1a having the above-described configuration operates as follows while the internal combustion engine E is driven. The blow-by gas is sent toward the oil separator 1a from the upstream side of the blow-by gas recirculation path C3. When blow-by gas flows in from the inlet P1 of the oil separator 1a, the blow-by gas passes through the filter element 15 from the inside to the outside. During this time, the filter element 15 separates and holds the oil contained in the blowby gas. The blow-by gas from which the oil has been removed passes through the filter element 15 and is then discharged from the discharge port P <b> 5 provided on the side surface of the housing 11. The discharged blowby gas is returned to the intake passage C1 (see FIG. 1) via the blowby gas recirculation passage C3.

  Further, while the internal combustion engine E is being driven, the vibration exciter 13 a vibrates due to an electrical signal from the ECU 19. The filter element 15 vibrates due to the vibration of the excitation unit 13a. In the present disclosure, since the oil separator 1a is fixed to the internal combustion engine E, vibrations of the internal combustion engine E are also transmitted to the oil separator 1a. When the vibration force applied to the filter element 15 by the internal combustion engine E is F0 and the vibration force applied to the filter element 15 by the vibration unit 13a is F, the vibration unit 13a is designed to satisfy F> F0. The In other words, when the amplitude of the filter element 15 due to the vibration of the internal combustion engine E is a0 and the amplitude of the filter element 15 due to the vibration of the vibration unit 13a is a, the vibration unit 13a is designed to satisfy a> a0. Is done.

  When the filter element 15 is vibrated by the vibrating portion 13a, the oil in the filter element 15 is forcibly moved downward. Thereafter, oil leaks from the vicinity of the lower end of the filter element 15 to the bottom surface of the housing 11 due to its own weight or vibration, and is then discharged from the drain port P3 to the outside of the oil separator 1a. This oil flows into the oil reservoir provided at the bottom of the crank chamber via the oil drain passage C5.

<4. Action and Effect of Oil Separator (First Configuration Example)>
The oil contained in the blow-by gas accumulates in the filter element 15, but according to the oil separator 1 a of the present disclosure, the filter element 15 is greatly forcedly vibrated by the vibration unit 13 a, and therefore accumulated in the filter element 15. Oil is discharged to the outside.

  Therefore, according to the oil separator 1a of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the clogging of the filter element 15 and, consequently, the high pressure inside the filter element 15 (that is, the inside pressure becomes a predetermined value or more). Can be prevented from opening. As a result, the blow-by gas that has flowed into the oil separator 1a is not filtered by the filter element 15 and can be prevented from returning directly from the relief valve 17 to the internal combustion engine E.

  According to the knowledge of the present applicant, clogging of the filter element cannot be suppressed only by the vibration of the internal combustion engine, and as a result, the blow-by gas cannot often be prevented from returning to the internal combustion engine as it is from the relief valve. . Through such knowledge, the present applicant has come up with the oil separator 1a of the present disclosure.

<5. Second configuration example of oil separator>
Next, a second configuration example (hereinafter referred to as an oil separator 1b) of the oil separator 1 in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, an arrow z indicates a vertically upward direction. The oil separator 1b is different from the oil separator 1a in that it includes a vibration unit 13b instead of the vibration unit 13a. In addition, since there is no difference between the oil separators 1a and 1b, the same reference numerals are given to the components corresponding to the configuration shown in FIG. 2 in FIG.

  In the present disclosure, since there is no excitation unit 13a, the filter element 15 has an inflow port P1 of the housing 11 on its inner peripheral surface between the top surface and the bottom surface of the housing 11 in a plan view from the vertically upward direction. Arranged to be included.

  The vibration unit 13b is an elastic body such as a spring, for example, and the elastic body includes a first portion A1 to which the housing 11 is attached and a second portion A3 to be attached to the internal combustion engine E.

  This elastic body is used in the resonance region. Specifically, when the excitation force applied to the filter element 15 by the internal combustion engine E is F0 and the force transmitted to the filter element 15 is F, the transmissibility τ (= F / F0) is in a resonance region where τ> 1. An elastic body is used.

  The oil separator 1b is preferably mounted on the surface of the internal combustion engine E at a position as far as possible from the crankshaft. This is because the amplitude of the oil separator 1b becomes larger.

<6. Action and Effect of Oil Separator (Second Configuration Example)>
The oil contained in the blow-by gas is accumulated in the filter element 15. However, according to the oil separator 1 b of the present disclosure, the vibration unit 13 b is used in the resonance region while the internal combustion engine E is being driven. Is amplified and transmitted to the filter element 15. Therefore, the filter element 15 is vibrated with a large amplitude, and as a result, the oil accumulated in the filter element 15 is well discharged to the outside.

  Therefore, according to the oil separator 1b of the present disclosure, the blow-by gas that has flowed into the oil separator 1b returns to the internal combustion engine E as it is from the relief valve 17 without being filtered by the filter element 15, as with the oil separator 1a described above. Can be suppressed.

<7. Addendum>
In the above embodiment, the oil separator 1a has been described as being attached to the periphery (specifically, the surface) of the internal combustion engine E. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the oil separator 1a may be attached around the internal combustion engine E (a position spaced apart from the internal combustion engine E).

  The oil separator 1b is preferably attached to the surface of the internal combustion engine E because the internal combustion engine E has a large vibration force.

  In the oil separator 1 a, the excitation unit 13 a is provided between the bottom surface of the housing 11 and the filter element 15. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the excitation unit 13a may be provided anywhere as long as the filter element 15 can be vibrated greatly.

  The oil separator of this indication can control clogging of a filter element, and is suitable for vehicles use.

E Internal combustion engine 1, 1a, 1b Oil separator 11 Housing 13a, 13b Exciting part 15 Filter element P3 Drain port

Claims (5)

An oil separator mounted around an internal combustion engine,
When a gas containing oil flows in, a filter element that passes the gas but traps the oil inside,
A drain port for discharging oil trapped in the filter element;
An excitation unit for applying vibration to the filter element;
Oil separator equipped with. When the excitation force of the internal combustion engine is F0 and the excitation force of the excitation unit is F, F> F0 is satisfied.
The oil separator according to claim 1. The excitation unit is a vibrator that generates vibration and gives the filter element.
The oil separator according to claim 1 or 2. A housing that houses the filter element and in which the drain port is formed,
Further comprising
The excitation unit includes an elastic body having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the housing is attached to the first portion, and the elastic body is attached to the internal combustion engine at the second portion.
The oil separator according to claim 1 or 2. The excitation unit is attached to the portion of the internal combustion engine that is a predetermined distance away from the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, in the second portion.
The oil separator according to claim 4.

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