JP2022095140A - Oil separation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an oil separation device capable of inexpensively and easily replacing a filter material.SOLUTION: An oil separation device 1 comprises: a device casing 3 having a casing side gas inflow port 15 and a casing side gas outflow port 17; and an element unit 5. The element unit 5 includes: an accommodation box 50; and a filter material 60 accommodated in the accommodation box 50. An element side gas inflow port 52 and an element side gas outflow port 55 are formed in the accommodation box 50. The element unit 5 is mounted to the device casing 3 in an attachable/detachable manner so that the casing side gas outflow port 17 opposes to the casing side gas inflow port 15 and a box inner gas flow passage is connected to a casing inner gas flow passage. The element unit 5 can be detached from the device casing 3 for replacement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to an oil separating device that separates mist-like oil contained in blow-by gas.

Engines of automobiles and industrial machines are known to be equipped with a blow-by gas reduction system. In the blow-by gas reduction system, the blow-by gas leaked into the crankcase from the gap between the piston ring and the cylinder wall is sent to the intake system through the flow path connected to the intake system formed in the cylinder head cover (rocker cover), and the negative pressure generated in the intake system. It is sucked in and returned to the intake system, and is supplied to the combustion chamber together with the air-fuel mixture. Since the crankcase is filled with engine oil, the blow-by gas sucked from the crankcase contains mist-like oil. Therefore, a blow-by gas reduction system is known to include an oil separation device that separates and collects mist-like oil from blow-by gas (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below).

In such an oil separating device, a filter medium may be used in order to improve the separation and collection efficiency of mist-like oil. The filter medium is formed of a material (for example, non-woven fabric or glass wool) having a function of aggregating and separating the mist-like oil contained in the blow-by gas when the blow-by gas passes through the inside thereof. As such a filter medium, one formed in a cylindrical shape is widely used. Some are formed in a plate shape (for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape) having a predetermined thickness, but they are not often used.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-64155 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-121478

The filter media in the oil separator needs to be replaced regularly because it becomes dirty over time and its function deteriorates. An oil separating device having a configuration in which only the filter medium is taken out from the oil separating device and replaced is known, but there is a problem that it often takes time to take out the filter medium and the replacement work becomes complicated. Further, an oil separating device having a configuration in which the entire oil separating device including the filter medium is replaced is also known, but there is a problem that the replacement cost is significantly increased as compared with the one in which only the filter medium is replaced.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an oil separation device capable of easily replacing a filter medium at low cost.

The oil separation device according to the present invention is an oil separation device that separates the mist-like oil contained in the blow-by gas when the blow-by gas in the crank case of the engine flows to the intake system, and is at least a part of the blow-by gas. A first gas inlet (for example, an element-side gas inlet 52 in the embodiment) for introducing the blow-by gas, and a first gas flow path (for example, in a box in the embodiment) in which one end is connected to the first gas inlet to allow blow-by gas to flow. A storage box in which a gas flow path) and a first gas outlet (for example, an element-side gas outlet 55 in the embodiment) provided on the other end side of the first gas flow path are formed, and the first gas flow path. An element unit provided in the path and having a filter medium for separating oil by passing blow-by gas flowing through the first gas flow path, and a second gas flow connected to the first gas outlet. An inlet (for example, a housing-side gas inlet 15 in the embodiment), a second gas flow path (for example, a gas flow path in the housing in the embodiment) having one end connected to the second gas inlet to flow blowby gas, and the first gas flow path. A second gas outlet (for example, a housing-side gas outlet 17 in the embodiment) provided on the other end side of the two gas flow paths is formed, and blow-by gas flowing out from the first gas outlet of the element unit is discharged. The device housing is configured to flow into the second gas flow path through the second gas inlet and flow from the second outlet to the intake system, and the device housing is the engine. The element unit is attached to and detachable from the device housing so that the first gas outlet faces the second gas inlet and the first flow path connects to the second flow path. The element unit is configured to be replaceable by being attached to the device housing and being removed from the device housing.

In the oil separation device according to the present invention, preferably, the element unit is provided in an installation space covered by a cover member (for example, a cover lid 101 in the embodiment) detachably attached to the upper part of the engine. The cover member is removed, and the element unit is removed from the device housing and is replaceable.

In the oil separation device according to the present invention, preferably, the element unit is provided in an installation space covered by a cover member detachably attached to the upper part of the engine, and the element unit is a back surface of the cover member. When the cover member is attached to the engine, the first gas outlet faces the second gas inlet and the first flow path is connected to the second flow path. It is configured to be detachably attached to the device housing, and the cover member to which the element unit is attached can be removed from the engine, and the element unit can be removed from the cover member and replaced.

In the oil separating apparatus according to the present invention, preferably, the filter medium is in the form of a plate having a predetermined thickness, and is used so that blow-by gas is passed from one surface in the thickness direction to the opposite surface to separate oil. The storage box has a peripheral wall surface in which at least a part of the first gas flow path forms a receiving space corresponding to the outer surface shape of the filter medium, and the receiving space is the first gas flow. It is configured to form at least a part of the path and accommodate the filter medium in the receiving space surrounded by the peripheral wall surface.

In the oil separation device according to the present invention, preferably, the outer surface of the filter medium is closed and the gap is closed by the filling material filled in the gap between the outer surface of the filter medium and the peripheral wall surface housed in the receiving space. The blow-by gas that has flowed into the storage box through the gas inlet is configured to pass through the inside of the filter medium from one surface in the thickness direction to the opposite surface. Also, preferably, the filter medium is formed of glass wool.

According to the oil separation device according to the present invention, the element unit having the filter medium is detachably attached to the device housing mounted in the engine, and the element unit can be removed from the device housing and replaced. By exchanging the unit, the filter medium can be exchanged. Therefore, the replacement cost can be reduced as compared with the configuration in which the entire oil separating device is replaced in order to replace the filter medium. Further, the filter medium replacement work becomes easier as compared with the configuration in which the filter medium is taken out from the oil separation device and replaced.

According to the oil separation device according to the present invention, the cover member detachably attached to the upper part of the engine is removed, and the element unit is removed from the device housing so that the element unit can be replaced, thereby improving the workability of replacing the element unit. It is possible to make it. Further, as another embodiment, the element unit is detachably attached to the back surface of the cover member, and when the cover member is attached to the engine, the element unit is detachably attached to the device housing, and the element unit is attached. The cover member can be removed from the engine, and the element unit can be removed from the cover member so that it can be replaced. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to improve the workability of attaching the element unit to the device housing and the workability of replacing the element unit.

Further, according to the oil separation device according to the present invention, a plate-shaped filter medium having a predetermined thickness is used to provide a storage box and a receiving space in which at least a part of the first gas flow path corresponds to the outer surface shape of the filter medium. It has a peripheral wall surface to be formed, and at least a part of the first gas flow path is formed by the receiving space, and the filter medium can be accommodated in the receiving space surrounded by the peripheral wall surface. With such a configuration, the first gas flow path, the peripheral wall surface, and the receiving space can be integrally configured, so that the configuration of the accommodation box can be simplified.

Further, according to the oil separation device according to the present invention, the outer surface of the filter medium is closed and the gap is closed by the filling material filled in the gap between the outer surface of the filter medium and the peripheral wall surface housed in the receiving space. The blow-by gas that has flowed into the storage box through the gas inlet can be configured to pass through the inside of the filter medium from one surface in the thickness direction to the other surface. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent blow-by gas from passing through the inside of the filter medium and passing through the gap between the outer surface of the filter medium and the peripheral wall surface, and preventing blow-by gas from passing through the outer surface of the filter medium. The mist-like oil contained in the blow-by gas can be efficiently separated and collected by the plate-shaped filter medium. Further, according to the oil separating apparatus according to the present invention, by forming the filter medium with glass wool, it is possible to improve the separation and collection efficiency of mist-like oil in the filter medium as compared with the case where the filter medium is formed of a non-woven fabric. Become.

It is a top view of the cylinder head cover in which the oil separation apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is installed. It is a front view of the cylinder head cover. It is a top view in the state which the lid member of the cylinder head cover is removed. It is a top view of the above-mentioned oil separation apparatus. It is sectional drawing of the said oil separation apparatus. It is sectional drawing in the state which the element unit of the said oil separation apparatus was removed from the apparatus housing. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the structure of the said element unit. It is a top view of the box body of the element unit. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the said oil separation apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the above drawings. First, the configuration of the oil separation device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. It should be noted that FIGS. 1 to 6 show cross-shaped arrows indicating each direction of front, back, left, right, up and down. The directions when referring to directions in the following description correspond to the directions of these arrows. Further, in FIG. 5, the flow of blow-by gas is illustrated by the arrow of the alternate long and short dash line.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the oil separation device 1 is installed in the upper part of the engine, specifically, in the internal space (installation space) of the cylinder head cover 100 which constitutes a part of the engine. The cylinder head cover 100 is configured to have a rectangular tubular cover main body 101 and a bottomless box-shaped cover lid 102, and is attached to, for example, an upper portion of a crankcase (not shown) via a cylinder head (not shown). Be done. A rectangular cover opening 103 (see FIG. 3) is formed on the upper surface portion 101a of the cover main body 101, and the oil separating device 1 is installed so as to face the cover opening 103. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the cover main body 101 is provided with six device mounting portions 104 extending from the edge portion of the cover opening 103 into the cover opening 103 in a plan view, and is provided with an oil separating device. 1 is attached to these device mounting portions 104 via mounting bolts 105. The cover lid 102 is detachably attached to the upper surface portion 101a of the cover main body 101 via a mounting bolt (not shown) so that the cover opening 103 can be opened and closed. Further, the upper wall portion 102a of the cover lid 102 is provided with a circular gas outflow opening 106 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) that communicates inside and outside the cylinder head cover 100, and the gas outflow opening 106 is provided with the gas outflow opening 106. An intake passage (not shown) for returning the blow-by gas to the intake system (for example, the outlet side of an air cleaner (not shown)) is connected.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the oil separation device 1 includes a device housing 3 and an element unit 5 that can be attached to and detached from the device housing 3. The device housing 3 includes a box-shaped upper housing 10 opened downward and a box-shaped lower housing 20 opened upward, and the upper housing 10 and the lower housing 20 are as shown in FIG. They are combined up and down and joined to each other by vibration welding or the like.

As shown in FIG. 6, the upper housing 10 has an upper wall portion 11 and a side wall portion 12, and bolt receiving seats 13 are provided at four locations on the upper surface of the upper wall portion 11. A part of the upper wall portion 11 is formed so as to be recessed downward, and this recessed portion is configured as an installation recess 14 for installing the element unit 5. The installation recess 14 is configured to have a recess lower wall portion 14a and a recess side wall portion 14b, and a circular housing-side gas inflow port 15 is formed in the recess lower wall portion 14a. A circular opening 16 is formed in the left portion of the upper wall portion 11, and a cylindrical gasket 31 is attached to the opening 16. The inner region of the gasket 31 is configured as a housing-side gas outlet 17. Further, on the lower surface of the recess lower wall portion 14a, a plurality of hanging walls 18 protruding downward and extending in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction are provided.

The lower housing 20 has a lower right bulge 21 and a lower left bulge 22 formed to bulge downward as shown in FIG. 6, and six as shown in FIG. It is configured with a mounting piece 23 (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 6, the lower right bulging portion 21 includes a lower right side wall portion 21a extending downward so as to form front, rear, left and right side surfaces of the lower right bulging portion 21, and the lower right bulging portion 21. It has a bottom wall portion 21b constituting the bottom surface of the protrusion 21, and the bottom wall portion 21b is provided with a check valve 32A. The check valve 32A is configured to open due to the weight of the oil when a predetermined amount or more of the oil separated from the blow-by gas is stored in the oil storage chamber OR1 formed inside the lower right bulge 21. .. When the check valve 32A is opened, the oil in the oil storage chamber OR1 is discharged to the outside and is configured to return to the oil tank (not shown) in the crankcase.

Similarly, the lower left bulge 22 constitutes a lower left side wall portion 22a extending downward so as to constitute each side surface of the lower left bulge 22 and a bottom surface of the lower left bulge 22. It has a bottom wall portion 22b, and the bottom wall portion 22b is provided with a check valve 32B. The check valve 32B is configured to open due to the weight of the oil when a predetermined amount or more of the oil separated from the blow-by gas is stored in the oil storage chamber OR2 formed inside the lower left bulge 22. When the check valve 32B is opened, the oil in the oil storage chamber OR2 is discharged to the outside and returned to the oil tank in the crankcase.

As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting piece 23 has a bolt insertion hole 23a, and is provided at six locations on the outer edge of the device housing 3 (lower housing 20). The device housing 3 (oil separation device 1) has a device mounting portion 104 (FIG. 3) in the cylinder head cover 100 via a mounting bolt 105 (see FIG. 3) inserted into the bolt insertion hole 23a of the mounting piece 23. See). With the oil separation device 1 (device housing 3) mounted inside the head cover 100, the gasket 31 is connected to the gas outflow opening 106 (see FIG. 1) of the cover lid 102, and the housing side gas outlet 17 is not available. It communicates with the illustrated intake passage. By communicating the gas outlet 17 on the housing side with the intake passage, the inside of the device housing 3 becomes a negative pressure, and the blow-by gas inside the device housing 3 is from the gas inlet 15 on the housing side to the gas outlet 17 on the housing side. A gas flow path (referred to as “in-housing gas flow path”) is formed. In other words, the gas flow path in the housing is formed by predetermined faces inside the device housing 3 (upper housing 10 and lower housing 20) and a space in the device housing 3 surrounded by these predetermined faces. Will be done.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the element unit 5 includes a storage box 50 made of a metal material or a resin material, and a filter medium 60 housed in the storage box 50. The storage box 50 has a plate-shaped box lid 51 having a rectangular shape in a plan view, and a box-shaped box main body 53 having an opening upward. The box body 53 has a box outer wall portion 53A and a box lower wall portion 53B, and a space inside the box 70 is formed inside the wall portions 53A and 53B as shown in FIG. .. As shown in FIG. 8, the box outer wall portion 53A includes a front outer wall portion 53Aa constituting the front side surface of the box body 53, a right outer wall portion 53Ab constituting the right side surface of the box body 53, and a rear surface of the box body 53. It is configured to have a rear outer wall portion 53Ac constituting the box body 53 and a left outer wall portion 53Ad constituting the left side surface of the box main body 53. Hereinafter, the inner side surface of the box outer wall portion 53A (the side surface facing the box inner space 70) is referred to as a peripheral wall surface 80. As shown in FIG. 7, the box lower wall portion 53B includes a horizontal upper step portion 53Ba, a vertical wall portion 53Bb, and a horizontal lower step portion 53Bc. A cylindrical portion 54 extending downward is formed on the right portion of the horizontal lower stage portion 53Bc, and the inner opening of the cylindrical portion 54 is configured as an element-side gas outlet 55. As shown in FIG. 7, the box inner space 70 is formed by the receiving space 71 surrounded by the box outer wall portion 53A (peripheral wall surface 80), the vertical wall portion 53Bb of the box lower wall portion 53B, and the horizontal lower stage portion 53Bc. It is divided into an enclosed gas outlet side space 72.

As shown in FIG. 8, on the upper surface of the box outer wall portion 53A of the box main body 53, caulking mounting portions 56 for mounting the box lid 51 are provided at six locations. The caulking attachment portion 56 is composed of a disk-shaped boss pedestal 56a and a columnar boss 56b (see FIG. 7) extending upward from the upper surface of the boss pedestal 56a. The box lid 51 is provided with a boss hole (not shown) at a position corresponding to each boss 56b. The box lid 51 is installed on the upper side of the box body 53 in a state where the boss 56b is inserted into the boss hole and the lower surface of the box lid 51 is in contact with the upper surface of the boss pedestal 56a. The box lid 51 is attached to the box body 53 by deforming each boss 56b into a rivet shape by ultrasonic caulking. Note that FIGS. 7 and 8 show the state before the boss 56b is deformed into a rivet shape, and FIGS. 4 to 6 show the state after the boss 56b is deformed into a rivet shape. When the box lid 51 is attached to the box body 53, a gap corresponding to the thickness of the boss pedestal 56a is formed between the upper surface of the box outer wall portion 53A of the box body 53 and the lower surface of the box lid 51. The gap is configured as an element-side gas inlet 52. By attaching the box lid 51 to the box body 53, a gas flow path (“gas flow path in the box”) through which blow-by gas flows from the element-side gas inlet 52 to the element-side gas outlet 55 in the storage box 50. To be referred to) is formed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the box main body 53 is provided with mounting pieces 57 at four locations on the outer edge of the box outer wall portion 53A, and bolt insertion holes 57a are formed in each mounting piece 57. Each mounting piece 57 is sandwiched between the bolt receiving seat 13 on the device housing 3 (upper housing 10) side and the mounting bolt 58 by the mounting bolts 58 inserted into the bolt insertion holes 57a. As a result, the accommodation box 50 is attached to the upper part of the device housing 3. When the storage box 50 (element unit 5) is attached to the device housing 3, the lower portion of the storage box 50 (box body 53) is received in the installation recess 14 on the device housing 3 (upper housing 10) side. At the same time, the cylindrical portion 54 on the storage box 50 side is fitted into the housing side gas inflow port 15 on the device housing 3 side. When the cylindrical portion 54 is fitted into the housing-side gas inlet 15, the element-side gas outlet 55 of the cylindrical portion 54 is connected to the housing-side gas inlet 15, and the gas flow path in the box is the gas flow in the housing. Connected to the road. A gas sealing member (not shown) is provided between the cylindrical portion 54 and the housing-side gas inlet 15, and a blow-by is provided between the cylindrical portion 54 and the housing-side gas inlet 15. It is designed to prevent gas from passing through.

The filter medium 60 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, for example, by a glass fiber, and has an upper surface 61, a lower surface 62, and four outer surfaces 63 on the front, back, left, and right, as shown in FIG. Further, the upper surface 61, the lower surface 62, and the four outer surfaces 63 are each formed in a rectangular shape. The filter medium 60 allows blow-by gas to pass from one surface in the thickness direction (for example, the upper surface 61) to the opposite surface (for example, the lower surface 62) to separate and capture the mist-like oil contained in the blow-by gas. It is configured to gather. The lower surface 62 of the filter medium 60 is placed on the upper surface of the horizontal upper stage portion 53Ba in the box lower wall portion 53B of the box main body 53, and is housed in the receiving space 71. More specifically, a flat viewing frame-shaped convex portion 59 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) protruding upward is formed on the inner edge portion of the horizontal upper stage portion 53Ba, and the filter medium 60 is installed on the convex portion 59. Will be done. The convex portion 59 is formed so as to prevent the filling material 42, which will be described later, from flowing out from the horizontal upper step portion 53Ba to the vertical wall portion 53Bb and the horizontal lower step portion 53Bc.

The receiving space 71 is formed to be one size larger than the filter medium 60, corresponding to the size of the filter medium 60 and the shape of the outer surface 63. When the filter medium 60 is housed in the receiving space 71, a gap 41 is formed between each peripheral wall surface 80 of the box outer wall portion 53A and each outer surface 62 of the filter medium 60, and the gap 41 is filled with the filling material 42. (See FIG. 6) is filled. As the filling material 42, for example, an adhesive made of an epoxy resin material is used, but a resin material other than the epoxy resin material such as polyvinyl acetate type, nitrile rubber type, and acrylic resin type may be used. The gap 41 is closed (sealed) by the filling material 42, each outer surface 62 of the filter medium 60 is closed, and the filter medium 60 is further fixed in the receiving space 71. In the accommodation box 50, the receiving space 71 is formed by the peripheral wall surface 80, and the filter medium 60 is arranged in the gas flow path in the box by being accommodated and installed in the receiving space 71. In other words, a part of the gas flow path in the box has a peripheral wall surface 80, and the peripheral wall surface 80 forms a receiving space 71, and the receiving space 71 forms a part of the gas flow path in the box. There is. That is, the peripheral wall surface 80 and the receiving space 71 are integrally formed with a part of the gas flow path in the box, so that the accommodating box 50 can be easily formed.

The oil separation device 1 is configured by attaching the element unit 5 in which the filter medium 60 is housed in the storage box 50 to the upper part of the device housing 3. The oil separation device 1 is installed in the cylinder head cover 100, and the gas outlet 17 on the housing side is communicated with the intake passage to create a negative pressure in the device housing 3 and the element unit 5, so that the oil is from inside the crankcase. Blow-by gas flows into the storage box 50 from the element-side gas inlet 52. The inflowing blow-by gas then passes through the inside of the filter medium 60 from the upper surface 61 to the lower surface 62 of the filter medium 60 (see FIG. 5). Upon passing through, the mist-like oil contained in the blow-by gas is separated and collected by the filter medium 60. Further, a part of carbon, metal powder, etc. contained in the blow-by gas is also separated and collected by the filter medium 60. The gap 41 (see FIG. 7) between the outer surface 63 of the filter medium 60 and the peripheral wall surface 80 is filled with the filling material 42, and the gap 41 is closed by the filling material 42, and the outer surface 63 of the filter medium 60 is closed. Is blocked. Therefore, the blow-by gas that has flowed into the storage box 50 is prevented from passing through the gap 41 without passing through the filter medium 60 or passing through the outer surface 63 of the filter medium 60, so that the blow-by gas is prevented from passing through the filter medium 60. It is possible to reliably pass through the filter medium 60 from the upper surface 61 to the lower surface 62 of the above. Therefore, it is possible to improve the separation and collection efficiency of mist-like oil by the filter medium 60.

The blow-by gas that has passed through the filter medium 60 flows into the apparatus housing 3 from the housing-side gas inlet 15 through the gas outlet-side space 72 and the element-side gas outlet 55 in the storage box 50, and flows into the device housing 3 from the oil storage chamber OR1. Pass over OR2. When passing, for example, the blow-by gas may collide with the hanging wall 18, and the mist-like oil contained in the blow-by gas may be separated at that time. A part of the oil separated at this time is stored in the oil storage chambers OR1 and OR2. When the amount of oil stored in the oil storage chambers OR1 and OR2 exceeds a predetermined amount, the check valves 32A and 32B are opened by the weight of the oil, and the oil in the oil storage chambers OR1 and OR2 is returned to the oil tank in the crankcase. Then, the blow-by gas from which the mist-like oil has been removed exits from the housing-side gas outlet 17, and is sent to the intake system.

When replacing the filter medium 60, replace the entire element unit 5. Specifically, for example, first, the cover lid 102 of the cylinder head cover 100 is removed from the cover main body 101 to open the cover opening 103 to expose the element unit 5 (see FIG. 3). Next, the mounting bolt 58 fixing the element unit 5 to the device housing 3 is removed from the bolt receiving seat 13 (see FIG. 5), and the element unit 5 is removed from the device housing 3. Then, the new element unit 5 is attached to the device housing 3 by the attachment bolt 58. After mounting, the cover lid 102 of the cylinder head cover 100 is attached to the cover main body 101, the cover opening 103 is closed, and the replacement of the element unit 5 (filter medium 60) is completed. In this way, in the oil separation device 1, the filter medium 60 can be replaced by removing the element unit 5 from the device housing 3 and replacing it. Therefore, the replacement work is easier than when the filter medium 60 is taken out and replaced with a new filter medium 60. Further, the cost required for the replacement is lower than that in the case of replacing the entire oil separation device 1 for the replacement of the filter medium 60.

Next, a modification of the above-mentioned oil separation device 1 (referred to as “oil separation device 2”) will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Most of the oil separation device 2 has the same configuration as the oil separation device 1. The common components are numbered in the same manner as those used in FIGS. 1 to 8 in FIG. 9, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, the oil separation device 2 includes a device housing 3K and an element unit 5K that can be attached to and detached from the device housing 3K. The device housing 3 of the oil separator 1 has a bolt seat 13 (see FIG. 6), whereas the device housing 3K does not have such a bolt seat. Unlike the body 3, other configurations are the same as those of the device housing 3. The element unit 5K is different from the element unit 5 of the oil separator 1 in that it is detachably attached to the bolt receiving seat 13K formed on the lower surface of the cover lid 102 via a mounting bolt 58, and other configurations are different. It is the same as the element unit 5.

In the oil separation device 2, the element unit 5K is detachably attached to the lower surface of the cover lid 102. When the cover lid 102 to which the element unit 5K is attached is attached to the cover main body 101 (see FIGS. 1 to 3), the element unit 5K is attached to the device housing 3K. Specifically, the lower portion of the storage box 50 is received in the installation recess 14 on the device housing 3K side, and the cylindrical portion 54 on the storage box 50 side is inside the housing side gas inflow port 15 on the device housing 3K side. It is designed to be fitted into. When the cylindrical portion 54 is fitted into the housing-side gas inlet 15, the element-side gas outlet 55 of the cylindrical portion 54 is connected to the housing-side gas inlet 15, and the gas flow path in the box is the gas flow in the housing. Connected to the road. On the other hand, when the cover lid 102 to which the element unit 5K is attached is removed from the cover main body 101, the element unit 5K is separated from the device housing 3K, and the connection between the element side gas outlet 55 and the housing side gas inlet 15 and the box. The connection between the inner gas flow path and the inner gas flow path is disconnected.

When replacing the filter medium 60 in the oil separating device 2, the element unit 5 is replaced in the same manner as in the oil separating device 1. Specifically, for example, first, the cover lid 102 of the cylinder head cover 100 is removed from the cover main body 101, and the element unit 5K is separated from the device housing 3K. Next, the mounting bolt 58 fixing the element unit 5K to the cover lid 102 is removed from the bolt receiving seat 13K, and the element unit 5K is removed from the cover lid 102. Then, the new element unit 5K is attached to the cover lid 102 by the attachment bolt 58. After mounting, the cover lid 102 of the cylinder head cover 100 is mounted on the cover main body 101, whereby the element unit 5K is mounted on the device housing 3K, and the replacement of the element unit 5 (filter medium 60) is completed. The oil separation device 2 configured in this way can also have the same effect as the oil separation device 1.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be appropriately modified. For example, in the above embodiment, the filter medium 60 is formed in a rectangular cuboid shape (a plate shape of a quadrangle in a plan view), but a filter medium or a cylinder formed in a plate shape such as a circle in a plan view, a triangle in a plan view, or a pentagon in a plan view. A filter medium formed in a shape may be used. Further, in the above embodiment, the filter medium 60 is formed of glass fiber, but the filter medium may be formed of another material such as a non-woven fabric.

Further, in the above embodiment, the gap formed between the box body 53 and the box lid 51 is configured as the element side gas inflow port 52, but the box lid 51 is provided with an opening that opens in the vertical direction. The opening may be the gas inlet on the element side. Further, in the above embodiment, the box main body 53 and the box lid 51 are joined to each other by the caulking mounting portion 56, but the box main body 53 and the box lid 51 may be joined to each other by an adhesive, and the box main body 53 may be joined to the box main body 53. On the other hand, the box lid 51 may be detachably attached by a bolt member or the like.

1,2 Oil separation device 3,3K Device housing 5,5K Element unit 10 Upper housing 13,13K Bolt receiving seat 15 Housing side gas inlet (second gas inlet)
17 Housing side gas outlet (second gas outlet)
20 Lower housing 41 Gap 42 Filling material 50 Storage box 51 Box lid 52 Element side gas inlet (first gas inlet)
53 Box body 55 Element side gas outlet (first gas outlet)
60 Filter media 71 Receiving space 80 Circumferential wall surface 100 Cylinder head cover 101 Cover body 102 Cover lid (cover member)
103 Cover opening

Claims (6)

It is an oil separation device that separates the mist-like oil contained in the blow-by gas when the blow-by gas in the crankcase flows to the intake system in the engine.
A first gas inlet for introducing at least a part of blow-by gas, a first gas flow path in which one end is connected to the first gas inflow port to flow blow-by gas, and the other end side of the first gas flow path are provided. It includes a storage box in which a first gas outlet is formed, and a filter medium provided in the first gas flow path and passing blow-by gas flowing through the first gas flow path to separate oil. The element unit to be used and
A second gas inlet connected to the first gas outlet, a second gas flow path having one end connected to the second gas inlet to flow blow-by gas, and a second gas flow path provided on the other end side of the second gas flow path. Two gas outlets are formed, and blow-by gas flowing out from the first gas outlet of the element unit is allowed to flow into the second gas flow path through the second gas inlet, and the blow-by gas flows from the second outlet to the second gas flow path. Equipped with a device housing configured to flow into the intake system,
The device housing is mounted in the engine and
The element unit is detachably attached to the apparatus housing so that the first gas outlet faces the second gas inlet and the first flow path connects to the second flow path. An oil separating device characterized in that the element unit can be replaced by removing it from the device housing. The element unit is provided in an installation space covered by a cover member detachably attached to the upper part of the engine.
The oil separation device according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is removed, and the element unit is removed from the device housing and can be replaced. The element unit is provided in an installation space covered by a cover member detachably attached to the upper part of the engine.
The element unit is detachably attached to the back surface of the cover member, and when the cover member is attached to the engine, the first gas outlet faces the second gas inlet and the first flow path becomes the said. It is configured to be detachably attached to the device housing so as to be connected to the second flow path.
The oil separation device according to claim 1, wherein the cover member to which the element unit is attached can be removed from the engine, and the element unit can be removed from the cover member and replaced. The filter medium has a plate shape of a predetermined thickness, and is used to allow blow-by gas to pass from one surface in the thickness direction to the opposite surface to separate oil.
The storage box has a peripheral wall surface in which at least a part of the first gas flow path forms a receiving space corresponding to the outer surface shape of the filter medium, and the receiving space is at least a part of the first gas flow path. The oil separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the filter medium is configured to be housed in the receiving space surrounded by the peripheral wall surface. The outer surface of the filter medium is closed and the gap is closed by the filling material filled in the gap between the outer surface of the filter medium and the peripheral wall surface housed in the receiving space, and the inside of the storage box is passed through the gas inlet. The oil separation device according to claim 4, wherein the blow-by gas flowing into the filter medium is configured to pass the inside of the filter medium from one surface in the thickness direction to the opposite surface. The oil separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the filter medium is formed of glass wool.

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