JP3180547B2 - Engine oil level detection device for internal combustion engines - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for detecting the level of engine oil in an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to an engine for an internal combustion engine in which an oil level gauge is inserted into an oil pan to detect the level of engine oil in the oil pan. The present invention relates to a device for detecting an oil level of oil.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder block, a cylinder head mounted on an upper surface of the cylinder block and forming a combustion chamber therein, a cylinder head cover mounted on an upper portion of the cylinder head and forming a cam chamber therein, and the cylinder. It has a crank lower case mounted on the lower surface of the block and an oil pan mounted on the lower surface of the crank lower case.

[0003] For example, an engine oil level detector is provided which inserts the tip of an oil level gauge into the engine oil in the oil pan from above the cylinder head cover and detects the oil level by the engine oil attached to the oil level gauge. .

An apparatus for detecting the oil level of the engine oil of the internal combustion engine is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 56-145615. In the guide device of the oil level gauge disclosed in this publication, the guide member of the oil level gauge is attached and fixed to the oil strainer.

[0005] Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 56-145616 discloses an example. The oil level gauge guide device disclosed in this publication has a cylindrical guide having one end press-fitted into the lower end of an oil level gauge insertion guide hole formed in a cylinder block and the other end extending into an oil pan. ing.

[0006] Furthermore, there is one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 56-145617. In the oil level gauge positioning structure of the oil pan disclosed in this publication, a positioning notch at the tip of the oil level gauge is formed in a protrusion provided inside the oil pan.

[0007] Further, there is another one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-2913. The lubricating oil amount measuring device for an internal combustion engine disclosed in this publication has a metal ring that expands and contracts in a radial direction fixed to a part of the outer periphery of an airtight seal member between a guide pipe and an oil level bar, Are in contact with the inner surface of the guide tube.

[0008] There is also one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 45319/1987. In the guide device of the oil level gauge disclosed in this publication, the gauge guide is formed integrally with the baffle plate in a screen-like manner at the edge of a gauge insertion hole formed in the baffle plate in the oil pan.

Further, there is a technique disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 64-8514. The oil pan baffle plate structure of the engine disclosed in this publication has a structure in which a baffle plate provided in an oil pan has a through hole formed in a through hole to avoid interference with the suction pipe corresponding to the inclined suction pipe in the through hole. A concave portion inclined downward toward the hole is formed, and a rib extending downward from the edge of the through hole of the concave portion is formed.

[0010] Furthermore, there is one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-40245. The oil pan structure disclosed in this publication is provided with an oil level gauge guide having a cover guide portion located on an inner protruding line of the oil level gauge inserted from the side of the crankcase inside the oil pan, and the oil level gauge guide includes: While providing an arm having a flange fixed to the oil pan,
The lower part of the cover guide is curved in a direction perpendicular to the oil surface.

[0011]

By the way, in a conventional internal combustion engine, particularly in a wet sump type internal combustion engine, as shown in FIG. 9, an oil pan 108 for storing engine oil and an oil level of the engine oil are detected. Oil level gauge 116, an oil level gauge guide 140 for guiding the oil level gauge 116 into the oil pan 108, and a lower end of the oil level gauge guide 140.
And an oil pump 144 held through a ring 142.

The oil level gauge 116
When the baffle plate 122 is guided by the oil level gauge guide 140 into the oil pan 108,
Through the through hole 146 formed in the oil pan 108 to reach the engine oil.

As a result, the angle and position at which the oil level gauge enters the oil level in the oil pan is limited by the shape and layout of the oil level gauge guide, and the degree of freedom in the layout of the oil level gauge is low.
There is a disadvantage that it is practically disadvantageous.

Further, a front engine / front drive (FF) system and a front engine / rear drive (F
R) In the case of the same engine adopting the system and different layouts of the oil pan shape, the layout of the oil level gauge and the oil level gauge guide also need to be dedicated layouts, and the number of types of parts increases, and There are disadvantages that are difficult, costly, and economically disadvantageous.

[0015] Alternatively, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-40245, the oil level gauge 216 is held by the oil level gauge guide 240 held by the crankcase 214 in the path where the oil level gauge reaches the oil level. When an oil pan 208 is guided into the oil pan 208, a cover guide 246 is provided in the oil pan 208 as shown in FIG.

The cover guide portion 246 is connected to the arm 24.
8. The oil pan 20 is formed by the flange 250 formed at the tip.
8 oil level gauge 21 fixed and inserted on the inner surface
6 is guided while being curved in a direction perpendicular to the oil surface.

As a result, fixing the cover guide portion in the oil pan increases the number of parts, increases the weight, makes it difficult to manufacture, increases the cost, and is disadvantageous economically. There is.

Further, it is necessary to form a baffle plate in a shape avoiding the cover guide portion by providing a cover guide portion inside the oil pan. There is an inconvenience that various performances such as functions are reduced.

Further, in the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 62-45319, when the oil level gauge is guided, the gauge guide is bent only two-dimensionally with respect to the traveling direction of the oil level gauge. The guide cannot be guided in a three-dimensional direction, so that it is difficult to avoid an interference object, and the degree of freedom in layout is low.

[0020]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, in order to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages, the present invention has an oil level gauge, and detects the oil level of engine oil in an oil pan by detecting the oil level of engine oil in an internal combustion engine. In the apparatus, a baffle plate is provided at an upper position in the oil pan, and a concave portion for pointing the oil level gauge tip in a predetermined direction is provided at a portion of the baffle plate where the oil level gauge tip contacts, and the oil An opening for inserting the tip of the level gauge into the engine oil is provided.

[0021]

According to the invention as described above, when the oil level gauge is inserted, the tip of the oil level gauge is directed in a predetermined direction by the concave portion formed in the baffle plate, and the tip of the oil level gauge is inserted into the engine through the opening. The baffle plate is inserted into the oil to detect the oil level of the engine oil, and there is no fear that the strength and performance of the baffle plate will be impaired.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 7 show an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, 2 is an internal combustion engine, 4 is a cylinder head, 6 is a cylinder block, and 8 is an oil pan.

The internal combustion engine 2 includes a cylinder block 6
A cylinder head 4 mounted on the upper surface of the cylinder block 6 and forming a combustion chamber (not shown) therein; a cylinder head cover 12 mounted on the upper portion of the cylinder head 4 and forming a cam chamber 10 therein; It has a crank lower case 14 to be mounted and the oil pan 8 mounted on the lower surface of the crank lower case 14.

In the internal combustion engine 2, the tip of an oil level gauge 16 is inserted into the engine oil in the oil pan 8 from above the cylinder head cover 12, for example, and the oil level is detected by the engine oil adhering to the oil level gauge 16. An oil level detecting device 18 for oil is provided.

The oil level detecting device 18 has a guide hole 20 for connecting the upper portion of the cylinder head cover 12 and the inside of the oil pan 8, and the oil level gauge 16 is inserted into the guide hole 20. is there.

A baffle plate 22 is provided at an upper position in the oil pan 8, and the baffle plate 22
A recess 24 is provided in a portion where the tip of the oil level gauge 16 contacts the tip of the oil level gauge 16 in a predetermined direction, and an opening 26 through which the tip of the oil level gauge 16 is inserted into the engine oil. Is provided.

More specifically, the recess 24 is formed in a conical shape so that the tip of the oil level gauge 16 is directed toward the oil surface, that is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3A to 3C, the baffle plate 22 is formed. And is formed in a triangular pyramid shape so as to gradually descend toward the oil surface in the oil pan 8 below from a predetermined portion.

At this time, the predetermined portion of the baffle plate 22 is defined as a range A in which the oil level gauge 16 can contact the baffle plate 22, as shown in FIGS.
That is, it is a position where the deformation range of the oil level gauge 16 can be held.

The opening 26 is formed at a position where the tip of the oil level gauge 16 contacts the concave portion 24 of the baffle plate 22, that is, at a position eccentric to the deformation range of the oil level gauge 16.

Actually, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the opening 26 is formed in a triangular shape at the deepest portion of the triangular pyramid-shaped concave portion 24 formed in the baffle plate 22.

Next, the operation will be described.

When the oil level gauge 16 is inserted from above the cylinder head cover 12 when the oil level of the engine oil in the oil pan 8 is detected, the oil level gauge 1
The six tips reach the baffle plate 22 via the cylinder head 4, the cylinder block 6, and the crank lower case 14.

At this time, the tip of the oil level gauge 16 comes into contact with the concave portion 24, and as shown in FIG. Is changed to move toward the opening 26 along the slope.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tip of the oil level gauge 16 which has reached the opening 26 is
And is inserted substantially vertically into the engine oil in the oil pan 8.

Then, the oil level gauge 16 is extracted, and the oil level is detected by the engine oil attached to the tip of the oil level gauge 16.

As a result, even if the recess 24 and the opening 26 are formed, there is no fear that the strength of the baffle plate 22 is impaired, and that the performance of the baffle plate 22 is not deteriorated. It is unnecessary, the structure can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, and it is economically advantageous, and the weight of the baffle plate can be reduced.

Further, by forming the concave portion 24 into a conical shape, that is, a triangular pyramid shape, the oil level gauge 16 is formed.
The tip of the oil level gauge is smoothly guided, and the tip of the oil level gauge can be reliably guided to the engine oil in the oil pan, which is practically advantageous and can maintain the strength of the baffle plate firmly.

Further, the opening 26 is formed at a position where the tip of the oil level gauge 16 contacts the concave portion 24 of the baffle plate 22, that is, at a position eccentric with respect to the deformation range of the oil level gauge 16, so that the oil The trajectory of the level gauge 16 can be guided in a three-dimensional direction, and the direction and angle of the tip of the oil level gauge 16 can be changed.
Interference with other objects can be reliably avoided, which is practically advantageous.

Further, since the opening 26 is formed at the deepest portion of the triangular pyramid-shaped recess 24 formed in the baffle plate 22, the tip of the oil level gauge 16 can reach the opening 26 smoothly. Therefore, the operation of inserting the oil level gauge 16 becomes easy, and the usability can be improved.

If the size and the inclination angle of the conical shape formed on the baffle plate 22 are changed when forming the concave portion 24, the directionality of the oil level gauge can be arbitrarily set, and practically, It is advantageous.

Further, a front engine / front drive (FF) system and a front engine / rear drive (F)
In the same engine 2 adopting the R) system, the oil level gauge 16 and other parts can be shared as shown in FIGS. Can be suppressed and can be realized at low cost.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various application modifications are possible.

For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the opening 26 is formed at the deepest portion of the concave portion 24. However, as shown in FIG. A hole 44 is formed in the middle of the surface portion 42, the hole 44 functions as an opening, and the direction of the tip of the oil level gauge 16 can be easily changed, thereby realizing the highly versatile baffle plate 22. In addition, the strength and performance of the baffle plate 22 are not significantly reduced by taking measures only by drilling the holes 44.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the oil level gauge is inserted from above the cylinder head cover when the oil level of the engine oil in the oil pan is detected, but the oil level gauge is inserted from the side of the engine. It can be applied to the structure of

[0046]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the baffle plate is provided at the upper position in the oil pan, and the tip of the oil level gauge is directed in a predetermined direction to the portion of the baffle plate where the tip of the oil level gauge contacts. The baffle plate has an opening that allows the tip of the oil level gauge to be inserted into the engine oil.There is no danger that the baffle plate's strength will be impaired and the baffle plate's performance will not be reduced. In addition, no separate parts are required, the structure can be simplified, the cost can be reduced, the economical advantage can be obtained, and the weight of the baffle plate can be reduced.

If the recess is formed in a conical shape so that the tip of the oil level gauge is directed toward the oil surface, the tip of the oil level gauge is smoothly guided, and the tip of the oil level gauge is connected to the engine oil in the oil pan. And it is practically advantageous, and can firmly maintain the strength of the baffle plate.

Further, if the opening is formed at a position eccentric with respect to a portion where the tip of the oil level gauge contacts the concave portion of the baffle plate, the opening is guided in a three-dimensional direction with respect to the locus of the oil level gauge. This makes it possible to change the direction and angle of the tip of the oil level gauge, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in layout and reliably avoiding interference with other objects, which is practically advantageous.

Furthermore, if the opening is formed at the deepest portion of the conical concave portion formed in the baffle plate,
The end of the oil level gauge reaches the opening smoothly, and the operation of inserting the oil level gauge is facilitated, so that the usability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a trajectory of a tip of an oil level gauge showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the internal combustion engine.

3A and 3B show an oil pan, wherein FIG. 3A is a plan view of the oil pan, FIG. 3B is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3C is Δc of FIG.
It is sectional drawing by the -Δc line.

FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged sectional view showing a range in which an oil level gauge can contact a baffle plate.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a range in which an oil level gauge can contact a baffle plate.

FIG. 6: Front engine / front drive (FF)
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an engine that employs a system.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an engine employing a front engine / rear drive (FR) system.

FIG. 8 is a schematic enlarged sectional view of a recess and an opening showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an oil pan into which an oil level gauge according to the first prior art of the present invention is inserted.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of an oil pan in which an oil level gauge according to a second prior art of the present invention is inserted.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 2 internal combustion engine 4 cylinder head 6 cylinder block 8 oil pan 10 cam chamber 12 cylinder head cover 14 crank lower case 16 oil level gauge 18 oil level detector 20 guide hole 22 baffle plate 24 recess 26 opening

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An apparatus for detecting an oil level of an engine oil in an internal combustion engine, wherein an oil level gauge is inserted to detect an oil level of the engine oil in the oil pan, wherein a baffle plate is provided at an upper position in the oil pan. A recess is provided at a portion of the plate where the tip of the oil level gauge comes into contact with the tip of the oil level gauge in a predetermined direction, and an opening is provided in the recess to allow the tip of the oil level gauge to be inserted into engine oil. An oil level detecting device for an engine oil of an internal combustion engine. 2. The engine oil level detecting device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein said concave portion is a concave portion formed in a conical shape so as to point the tip of an oil level gauge toward an oil level. 3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the opening is an opening formed at a position eccentric with respect to a portion where the tip of the oil level gauge contacts the concave portion of the baffle plate. Engine oil level detection device. 4. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the opening is an opening formed at the deepest part of a conical recess formed in the baffle plate. Engine oil level detector.