JP3445007B2 - Engine oil circulation control system for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an engine oil circulation control device. In particular, keep the oil level constant by supplying lubricating oil to the hydraulic circuit or removing the lubricating oil from the hydraulic circuit during running, or by supplying different types of lubricating oil to the lubricating oil. The present invention relates to an engine oil circulation control device capable of preventing fuel dilution caused by mixing of fuel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Among the components of an engine mounted on an automobile or the like, there are many components such as pistons, cylinders, crankshafts, connecting rods, bearings, etc. that are rubbed by sliding or are rotating. Exists. Therefore, an engine oil circulation control device is added to the engine to supply the lubricating oil to the parts where the metals are in contact with each other.

In this type of engine oil circulation control device, the lubricating oil stored in the oil pan is pumped up from the oil pan by an oil pump. Then, after being pressure-fed to each sliding portion of the engine through an oil filter for removing foreign matters, an oil pressure regulator for adjusting hydraulic pressure, etc., the oil is returned to the oil pan again.

In the wet sump type engine oil circulation control device, an oil pan is directly attached to the bottom surface of the cylinder block of the engine, and the lubricating oil pumped up from the oil suction port and jetted to each sliding portion is naturally dropped. It is a device that returns to the oil pan. in this case,
The oil pan is an oil tank that secures the capacity necessary to circulate the oil, and at the same time, the bottom of the oil pan is exposed to the lower surface of the vehicle body, so the oil pan also functions as an oil cooler. .

On the other hand, in a high-performance automobile such as a racing car that travels rapidly at a high speed, large gravity is often applied to the front, rear, left and right during traveling. Therefore, in a wet sump type engine oil circulation control device in which lubricating oil is stored in an oil pan, the suction port is exposed from the oil surface and sucks air, which may cause oil shortage. Therefore, a dry sump type engine oil circulation control device is used. In this dry sump type engine oil circulation control device, in addition to the oil recovery sump formed in the crankcase for recovering the oil injected to the sliding parts of the engine, an oil tank for storing lubricating oil is provided. It is provided separately. Then, the lubricating oil is returned to the oil tank from the oil recovery sump provided in the crankcase using a recovery pump other than the pressure pump.

[0006]

By the way, in any of the above-described wet sump type and dry sump type engine oil circulation control devices, when the oil amount decreases, the lubricating oil injected to the sliding portion of the engine is insufficient. As a result, the proper oil film is not retained, and as a result, the sliding parts may be worn or seized. On the contrary, if the amount of oil is too large, an excessive amount of oil is also supplied into the cylinder and the like, so that the oil may scatter on the spark plug and cause ignition failure. Therefore, the amount of oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit must be maintained at an appropriate amount.

However, in the conventional engine oil circulation control device, when the lubricating oil is reduced due to consumption or the like, it is necessary to stop the vehicle and manually replenish the lubricating oil. In particular, when the vehicle travels at a high speed of about 160 km / h or more, the amount of lubricating oil consumed increases as compared to the case of traveling at a normal speed of about 60 km / h. Therefore, a vehicle equipped with a conventional engine oil circulation control device cannot run at high speed for a long time.

On the other hand, when the lubricating oil is replenished too much and the circulating amount of the lubricating oil becomes excessive, the drain plug of the engine oil circulation control device is manually removed to drain the oil. There was a need.

Further, in the engine oil circulation control device equipped with the oil cooler, when the temperature of the lubricating oil rises, the thermostat switches the oil circulation path to the path passing through the oil cooler, and the bypass path provided with the oil cooler. The total oil circulation amount increases by the capacity of. As a result, the liquid level in the oil tank rises,
The problem of ignition failure due to scattering on the spark plug described above often occurs. In this way, when the oil is switched to the detour provided with the oil cooler, the liquid level of the oil tank becomes unstable, and the fluctuation of the liquid level becomes larger as the capacity of the oil cooler becomes larger. Therefore, even if an air-cooled or oil-cooled engine with a displacement of 5000 cc or more is mounted on an automobile, an oil cooler with a large cooling capacity is required as the displacement of the engine increases, and the liquid level of the oil tank also increases accordingly. Since it becomes unstable, there is also a problem that an engine with a large displacement cannot be adopted after all.

On the contrary, for example, 60 km in a high temperature city area
Since the oil temperature rises when the vehicle continues traveling at about / h, the thermostat operates so as to cool the oil with the oil cooler. However, when an automobile enters an expressway such as an autobahn from such an urban area and runs at a high speed of 210 km / h for a long time in a low temperature area, the oil is cooled by the environmental temperature. Therefore, the thermostat operates and the detour to the oil cooler is stopped. This reduces the total oil circulation,
Moreover, the amount of oil consumed is high because the vehicle is traveling at high speed. As a result, the sliding parts may be worn or seized.

The lubricating oil expands and contracts depending on the temperature. Therefore, the liquid level of the oil tank is different immediately after the vehicle is started and when the vehicle is traveling at high speed.

Further, since the lubricating oil is also injected into the cylinder, fuel such as gasoline is mixed with the recovered lubricating oil. Due to this dilution with fuel, the viscosity of the lubricating oil decreases, and it is not possible to maintain an appropriate oil film, which often leads to engine failure. For example, it is said that the fuel dilution ratio reaches about 15% when the vehicle travels at a high speed of about 160 km / h for about 24 hours. In order to solve such a fuel dilution problem, the initial viscosity of the lubricating oil must be increased, but if the viscosity of the lubricating oil is increased, the stirring resistance of the lubricating oil increases, so that the output loss of the engine is reduced. Will occur.

Therefore, the first object of the present invention is to supply the lubricating oil from the sub oil sump to the hydraulic circuit in accordance with the consumption amount of the lubricating oil even while the automobile is running, thereby ensuring that an appropriate amount of the lubricating oil is supplied. An object of the present invention is to provide an engine oil circulation control device that can supply lubricating oil to sliding parts of an engine.

A second object of the present invention is to extract the lubricating oil from the hydraulic circuit to the sub oil sump in accordance with an increase in the circulating amount of the lubricating oil even while the vehicle is running, so that an appropriate amount can be obtained. An object of the present invention is to provide an engine oil circulation control device capable of supplying the lubricating oil of (1) to the sliding portion of the engine.

A third object of the present invention is to supply an appropriate type of lubricating oil from the sub oil sump to the hydraulic circuit according to the fluctuation of the viscosity of the lubricating oil even while the automobile is running, thereby An object of the present invention is to provide an engine oil circulation control device capable of supplying lubricating oil having an appropriate viscosity to an engine sliding portion.

[0016]

To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a main oil sump in which lubricating oil is stored, and the lubricating oil are supplied to a target portion of an engine and A hydraulic circuit for returning the lubricating oil supplied to the target portion of the engine to the main oil sump, and an oil pump provided in the hydraulic circuit for circulating the lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit. And at least one sub-oil sump for storing lubricating oil, at least one hydraulic pipe communicating with the sub-oil sump and the hydraulic circuit, and the sub-oil sump and hydraulic circuit through the hydraulic pipe. A transfer means for transferring at least a part of the lubricating oil from at least one of the other to the other,
There is provided an engine oil circulation control device having:

In the engine oil circulation control device of the present invention, at least one sub-oil sump for storing lubricating oil, at least one hydraulic pipe for communicating the sub-oil sump with the hydraulic circuit, and the sub-oil through the hydraulic pipe. Since there is a transfer means for transferring at least a part of the lubricating oil from at least one of the sump and the hydraulic circuit to the other, the lubricating oil accumulated in the sub oil sump is introduced into the hydraulic circuit. Can be replenished. As a result, even if the lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit is consumed, if an appropriate amount of lubricating oil is replenished from the sub oil sump to the hydraulic circuit according to the consumption amount, an appropriate amount of oil will be supplied to the sliding parts of the engine. It is possible to supply the oil, and it is possible to prevent abrasion and seizure of the sliding parts due to lack of oil.

Further, in the engine oil circulation control device according to the present invention, at least one sub-oil sump for storing lubricating oil, at least one hydraulic pipe for communicating the sub-oil sump with the hydraulic circuit, and the hydraulic pipe are provided. Since it has a transfer means for transferring at least a part of the lubricating oil from at least one of the sub oil sump and the hydraulic circuit to the other, the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit is transferred to the sub oil sump. Can be removed. As a result, even if the amount of lubricating oil that circulates in the hydraulic circuit increases, if an appropriate amount of lubricating oil is extracted from the hydraulic circuit to the sub oil sump according to the amount of increase, an appropriate amount for the sliding parts of the engine can be obtained. It is possible to supply the oil, and it is possible to prevent the ignition failure of the spark plug due to the increase of the oil.

Further, since the lubricating oil can be supplied and withdrawn during operation, and it is not necessary to manually stop the automobile or the like, which is particularly effective for continuous operation for a long time. is there.

The engine oil circulation control device of the present invention is
Oil cooling means for cooling the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit, and supplying the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit to the oil cooling means and returning the lubricating oil to the hydraulic circuit. Of the cooling bypass pipe and the circulation route of the lubricating oil in accordance with the temperature of the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit, into a route circulating only the hydraulic circuit and a route passing also through the cooling bypass pipe. It can further have a thermostat for switching. When the cooling bypass pipe provided with the oil cooling means is added and the circulation path of the lubricating oil is switched by the thermostat, the total circulation amount of the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit fluctuates, which serves the purpose of the engine. The amount of lubricating oil supplied to the parts may also fluctuate, resulting in oil shortage or excessive oil supply. However, in the engine oil circulation control device of the present invention, a Since it is possible to supply lubricating oil from the oil sump to the hydraulic circuit, or to drain lubricating oil from the hydraulic circuit to the sub oil sump,
The problems of oil shortage and oil excess described above can be solved.

In the engine oil circulation control device of the present invention, the pressure detection means is provided in the cooling bypass pipe and detects the pressure of the lubricating oil flowing through the cooling bypass pipe, and the pressure detection means detects the pressure. It is also possible to further include a control means for outputting an operation signal for operating the transfer means to the transfer means based on the oil pressure of the lubricating oil. This pressure detecting means can detect whether or not the lubricating oil is flowing through the cooling bypass pipe. Therefore, if the transfer means is operated or stopped based on the oil pressure of the lubricating oil detected by the pressure detecting means, the hydraulic circuit is opened. The amount of circulating lubricating oil can be adjusted to an appropriate amount,
It is possible to prevent oil shortage and excess oil.

In this case, the control means for outputting the operation signal to the transfer means determines whether the pressure of the lubricating oil detected by the pressure detection means is within a predetermined pressure range. It is more preferable that the operation signal is output to the transfer means for a predetermined time when it is determined to be outside the range. If the fluctuation amount of the total circulating amount of lubricating oil due to opening and closing of the thermostat and the transfer amount of the transfer means per unit time are known, an appropriate amount of lubricating oil can be supplied from the sub oil sump depending on the operating time of the transfer means. This is because it can be replenished to the hydraulic circuit or can be withdrawn from the hydraulic circuit to the sub oil sump. In particular, such a fluctuation in the liquid surface due to the opening / closing operation of the thermostat occurs when the lubricating oil exceeds the operating temperature of the thermostat, that is, in most cases during operation, and the driver often does not notice it. It is preferable to automatically control the fluctuation of the liquid surface due to the opening / closing operation of the pressure detecting means and the control means.

However, the engine oil circulation control device of the present invention is an oil amount detecting device for detecting the lubricating oil amount of the hydraulic circuit in place of or in addition to the above-mentioned pressure detecting device and control device. Means and control means for outputting an actuation signal to actuate said transfer means to said transfer means may also be included. Since the amount of lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit can be directly detected by the oil amount detecting means, if the transfer means is operated or stopped based on the lubricating oil amount detected by the oil amount detecting means, the hydraulic circuit will be closed. The amount of circulating lubricating oil can be adjusted to an appropriate amount, and oil shortage or excess oil can be prevented.

In this case, whether the control means for outputting the operation signal to the transfer means has the lubricating oil amount detected by the oil amount detecting means within a predetermined oil amount range determined in advance. If it is out of the above range, an operation signal for operating the transfer means is output to the transfer means until the amount of lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit falls within the predetermined oil amount range. Is more preferable. This control may be automatic control or manual control.

In the present invention, the main oil sump is
It can be configured by an oil tank provided separately from the engine or an oil pan attached to the engine. Since an engine that consumes a large amount of oil or an engine that has a large displacement requires a large amount of lubricating oil, it is more preferable to use an oil tank provided separately from the engine. Also, during high-speed operation, large gravity is often applied to the front, rear, left and right during operation, so using an oil tank provided separately from the engine will prevent air from being sucked out from the oil intake port. To be done. On the other hand, it is preferable to configure the main oil sump with an oil pan attached to the engine because the lubricating oil can be cooled without providing an oil cooler.
There is also an advantage that the installation space for the oil sump is reduced.

In the present invention, at least one sub oil sump may be provided, but a plurality of sub oil sumps may be provided. It is preferable that the number of sub oil sumps is small in terms of installation space and weight of an automobile or the like in which the engine oil circulation control device of the present invention is mounted, but when it is desired to supply fresh oil or different types of lubricating oil to the hydraulic circuit. For example, it is preferable to separately provide a sub-oil sump dedicated to replenishment and a sub-oil sump dedicated to draining for storing the lubricating oil drained from the hydraulic circuit.

Further, in the present invention, at least one hydraulic pipe may be used to connect the sub oil sump and the hydraulic circuit. It is also possible to use one hydraulic pipe to supply the lubricating oil from the sub oil sump to the hydraulic circuit, and to drain the lubricating oil from the hydraulic circuit to the sub oil sump. Further, a hydraulic pipe for supplying lubricating oil from the sub oil sump to the hydraulic circuit and a hydraulic pipe for draining lubricating oil from the hydraulic circuit to the sub oil sump may be separately provided.

In the present invention, the transfer means can be constituted by an oil pump provided in a hydraulic pipe that connects the sub oil tank and the hydraulic circuit. By using the oil pump, it is possible to accurately and quickly transfer the amount of lubricating oil transferred. Further, without providing the oil pump, the lubricating oil may be transferred by gravity utilizing the height difference between the sub oil sump and the hydraulic circuit.
When the lubricating oil is transferred by utilizing gravity, the oil pump can be omitted, which is advantageous in terms of weight and cost.

In the present invention, the sub oil tank includes
It is also possible to store a different type of lubricating oil than the lubricating oil that circulates in the hydraulic circuit. The different types of lubricating oils include lubricating oils having different compositions themselves, and lubricating oils having the same composition but different compounding ratios. By doing so, for example, an appropriate type of oil can be replenished according to the fluctuation of oil viscosity, and problems such as fuel dilution can be solved. For example, in the sub oil tank, the compounding ratio of additives including antioxidant, extreme pressure additive, friction modifier, viscosity index improver, detergent dispersant is better than that of lubricating oil flowing in the hydraulic circuit. If the lubricating oil adjusted to a high value is stored and the oil of the sub oil sump is replenished to the hydraulic circuit according to the fluctuation of the oil viscosity, problems such as fuel dilution can be solved.

The engine oil circulation control device of the present invention is
It can be applied not only to engines for automobiles such as two-wheel, three-wheel and four-wheel, but also to engines for various vehicles such as industrial vehicles, aircraft, ships and trains. Further, the type of the engine is not limited, and the present invention can be applied to a gasoline engine and a diesel engine, and can be applied to a rotary engine in addition to a reciprocating engine of 2 cycles, 4 cycles and the like. Since a rotary engine or a diesel engine consumes a large amount of lubricating oil, it is particularly effective to apply the engine oil circulation control device of the present invention.

[0031]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is a specific example in which the engine oil circulation control device of the present invention is applied to an engine of an automobile.

FIG. 1 shows the thermostat 1 of the hydraulic circuit 19 when the lubricating oil has a proper temperature or a temperature lower than the proper temperature.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic circuit showing a flow state of lubricating oil when 0 operates so as to connect the lubricating oil inlet 10a and the outlet 10b. Hereinafter, the operating state of the thermostat will also be referred to as the "state in which the thermostat is closed". On the other hand, FIG. 2 is a hydraulic circuit showing a flow state of the lubricating oil when the thermostat 10 operates so as to bypass the lubricating oil to the oil cooler 11, such as when the lubricating oil becomes higher than an appropriate temperature. FIG. Hereinafter, the operating state of the thermostat is also referred to as "state in which the thermostat is open".

In FIG. 1, an engine oil circulation control device (Oil Circulation Co) of this embodiment is shown.
control unit = O. C. C. U) is a device for supplying lubricating oil to sliding parts of an automobile engine, and is an oil tank 1 for storing lubricating oil.
have. An outlet pipe 2 is attached to the bottom surface 1a of the oil tank 1, and a hydraulic pipe 3 such as a metal pipe 3a and a flexible hose 3b is connected to the bottom face 1a. The other end of the hydraulic pipe 3 has an oil pump 5 driven by utilizing the driving force of a crankshaft or a camshaft of the engine 4.
Is connected to the suction port 5a.

Further, the oil tank 1 is provided with an oil level gauge 43 for detecting the liquid level of oil. As shown in FIG. 1, the oil level gauge 43 includes a float 43a, a lever 43b, and a sensing unit 43.
The float 43a, which is configured by c and is attached to the tip of the lever 43b, rises and falls according to the liquid level 18 of the oil tank, and the sensing unit 4 corresponding to the rotational position of the lever 43b.
Oil meter 4 provided with an electric signal from 3c indoors
4 is sent. This allows the driver to immediately recognize the current oil level 18.

In the engine oil circulation control device of this embodiment, as the oil pump 5, an oil pump such as a trochoid pump can be used in addition to the gear pump shown in FIG. The trochoid pump is composed of, for example, an inner rotor having four blades and an outer rotor having recesses at five places. The inner rotor is rotated by a driving force of a crankshaft or the like, and the outer rotor is also rotated by the rotation of the inner rotor. However, since the number of blades of the inner rotor and the number of recesses of the outer rotor are different, the outer rotor rotates at a speed of 4/5 that of the inner rotor. Therefore, the position and the volume of the space formed between the inner rotor and the inner rotor sequentially shift while the inner rotor makes one rotation. Then, when the volume of this space becomes large, the pressure in the space decreases, so that oil is sucked from the suction port 5a of the oil pump 5. Further, when the volume of the space becomes small, the pressure in the space increases, so that the oil is discharged from the discharge port 5b of the oil pump 5.

The lubricating oil sucked by the oil pump 5 is discharged through the discharge port 5 of the oil pump 5 as shown in FIG.
From b, through a number of oil supply passages formed in the cylinder block, cylinder head, crankshaft, etc. of the engine, the piston, cylinder, crankshaft 36, connecting rod, camshaft 48,
It is sprayed on parts such as bearings that are rubbed by sliding or parts that are rotating.

The lubricating oil sprayed on each of the above-mentioned components forms an oil film at the sliding portion, and the sliding film floats up due to this oil film. This reduces the frictional force and prevents wear of the sliding parts. Lubricating oil also has a cushioning effect that cools parts that have become hot due to frictional heat, cylinders and pistons that have become hot due to combustion, and absorbs the force applied to sliding parts to reduce noise. . further,
The lubricating oil has a function of filling a gap between the piston or the piston ring and the cylinder, preventing gas leakage in the cylinder, and washing away foreign matters such as metal powder generated in the engine. In addition, since the oil film of the lubricating oil covers the metal surface, it also has a rust preventive effect on the metal parts.

The lubricating oil supplied to each component naturally drips through a large number of oil return passages formed in the cylinder block, cylinder head, etc. of the engine 4 or along the wall surface of the crankcase. , Are collected in the collecting sump 49 provided on the bottom surface of the crankcase (see FIG. 4). The recovery sump 49 of the present embodiment is a sump for recovering the lubricating oil that has been used for lubrication and returning it to the oil tank 1, so there is no problem even if some air is sucked. Therefore, a sump having a volume smaller than the volume of the oil pan used in a general wet sump type oil circulation control device may be used.

In the engine equipped with the turbocharger 46 as shown in FIG. 9, the lubricating oil sucked by the oil pump 5 (see FIG. 1) is injected into the turbocharger 46 through the return valve 62. It Further, a collecting sump 60 for collecting the lubricating oil injected to the turbocharger 46 is provided separately, and a collecting oil pump 61 driven separately from the oil pump 5 by the crankshaft 48 collects the lubricating oil. The lubricating oil collected in the sump 60 is returned to the oil tank 1 through the pipes 68, 20 attached by the connecting means 69. Turbocharger 46
In the engine equipped with, the high temperature exhaust gas of about 700 ° C. is introduced into the turbocharger 46, and the rotor of the turbocharger 46 rotates at a rotational speed of 200,000 rpm. Therefore, the lubricating oil supplied here is supplied. Takes relatively large damage. However, in the oil circulation control device of the present invention, fresh lubricating oil can be provided from the sub oil tank 27, which will be described later, to the hydraulic circuit 19, so that this problem can be solved.

The lubricating oil collected in the collecting sump 49 (see FIG. 4) is sucked by the oil pump 6 having the same structure as the above-mentioned oil pump 5, and the discharge port 6b of the oil pump 6 (see FIG. 4). ), And is guided to the oil filter 8 through the hydraulic pipe 7 such as the metal pipe 7a and the flexible hose 7b connected to. As shown in FIG. 4, the oil pump chambers of the oil pumps 5 and 6 of the present embodiment are partitioned, but have a structure in which they are interlocked by the driving force of the crankshaft 36.

The oil filter 8 can be used as a filtration type in which various fibers are stacked or a stacking type in which thin metal plates are stacked, and removes foreign matters generated in an engine, a hydraulic pipe or the like from lubricating oil. The mounting position of the oil filter 8 is not limited to the illustrated position, and the oil filter 8 may be mounted in the hydraulic circuit between the oil tank 1 and the oil pump 5 or immediately after the oil pump 5. Further, since carbon is easily generated in a diesel engine, it is preferable to use both the laminated type and the filtered type in combination.

A hydraulic pipe 9 is connected to the outlet of the oil filter 8, and the other end of the hydraulic pipe 9 is connected to the thermostat 1.
0 is connected to the inlet 10a. Generally, the suitable temperature of the lubricating oil is around 85 ° C., but the lubricating oil is heated by the cylinder and the piston, and especially when the temperature exceeds 125 ° C., the lubricating ability sharply decreases. Therefore, in a high-power engine for running at high speed for a long time, or in a diesel engine in which the cylinders and pistons have high temperatures, an oil cooler 11 for cooling the lubricating oil that has become high temperature to an appropriate temperature is provided.
Is provided. Depending on the temperature of the lubricating oil that has entered the inlet 10a of the thermostat, the above-mentioned thermostat 10 selects whether this lubricating oil is passed through the oil cooler 11 or is passed through without being passed through the oil cooler 11 for lubrication. It is a kit having a switching valve for automatically adjusting the temperature of oil. The specific structure is not particularly limited, but a thermostat of a type in which a material that expands and contracts due to temperature change is enclosed in the thermostat and the valve is operated by expansion or contraction of this material can be used.

In addition to the lubricating oil inlet 10a described above, the thermostat 10 has a lubricating oil outlet 1a.
0b, an outlet 10c to the oil cooler, and an inlet 10d from the oil cooler are formed. When the lubricating oil has a predetermined temperature (for example, 85 ° C.) or lower, the lubricating oil inlet 10a and the lubricating oil outlet 10b communicate with each other, and the lubricating oil inlet 10a and the oil cooler are connected to each other. The switching valve operates so that the outlet 10c is shut off. Further, when the lubricating oil becomes higher than the predetermined temperature, the lubricating oil inlet 10a communicates with the oil cooler outlet 10c, and the oil cooler inlet 10d and the lubricating oil outlet 10b communicate with each other. Communication, and further, lubricating oil inlet 10a and lubricating oil outlet 1
The switching valve operates so that 0b is disconnected.

An outlet 10c to the oil cooler formed in the thermostat 10 and an inlet 10d from the oil cooler.
Hydraulic pipes 12 and 13 such as metal pipes 12a and 13a and flexible hoses 12b and 13b are connected to the oil pipes 12, and an oil cooler 11 is provided at the other ends of these hydraulic pipes 12 and 13, respectively. In this embodiment, either an air-cooled oil cooler or a water-cooled oil cooler can be used. In the case of a water-cooled oil cooler, engine cooling water may be used as the heat medium.

Generally, when the oil cooler 11 is mounted, the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 greatly varies, but in a vehicle equipped with the oil circulation control device of the present invention, the liquid level of the oil tank 1 can be adjusted as described later. Since it can be performed without stopping the vehicle, it can be installed in an oil cooler having a relatively large cooling capacity.

Further, the oil cooler 11 having a large cooling capacity
Since the engine can be mounted, the displacement of the engine 4 can be increased. That is, especially in the air-cooled engine, the lubricating oil also plays an important role in cooling the engine 4. Therefore, when the displacement of the engine 4 of the automobile is increased, the amount of heat generated by the engine 4 is also increased. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the cooling capacity of the lubricating oil, but when the capacity of the oil cooler 11 is increased, the thermostat 10 is opened. Liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 when the thermostat 10 is closed and the liquid level 1 of the oil tank 1 when the thermostat 10 is closed
There is a problem that the amount of fluctuation with respect to 8 becomes large. Also,
If the circulation amount of the hydraulic circuit 19 is increased, it takes time to warm up the vehicle when starting the vehicle. However, if the oil circulation control device of the present invention is used, even if the oil cooler 11 has a large capacity, the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 when the thermostat 10 is opened and the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 when the thermostat 10 is closed. Since and can be maintained at the same level, all the above problems are solved. In particular, if the capacity of the hydraulic circuit 19 is designed so that the oil circulation amount of the hydraulic circuit 19 becomes the necessary minimum amount, the cold oil is raised to an appropriate 85 ° C. even when the vehicle is started. However, warming up for a short time is sufficient. For this reason, in the past,
When the capacity of the oil cooler 11 (total capacity of the oil cooler and the hydraulic pipe) is about 3.9 liters, the engine displacement of about 4000 cc was the limit, but the oil circulation of the present invention was limited. Using the control device, the capacity of the oil cooler 11 can be increased to about 8 liters, which allows the displacement of the air-cooled engine to reach 5000.
cc or more can be set. The engine in this case can be composed of horizontally opposed (boxer type) or V type multi-cylinders having, for example, 8, 10, 12 or more cylinders.

One end of a hydraulic pipe 14 is connected to the lubricating oil outlet 10b formed in the thermostat 10, and the other end of the hydraulic pipe 14 is an inlet pipe provided on the bottom surface 1a of the oil tank 1. It is connected to 15.

An oil pressure sensor 16 is provided in the middle of the above-mentioned hydraulic pipe 13, and the hydraulic pipe 13
The internal hydraulic pressure is detected and output to the controller 17. The oil pressure sensor 16 is provided for the purpose of detecting whether the thermostat 10 is open or closed.

That is, when the thermostat 10 is opened and the lubricating oil circulates in the bypass of the oil cooler 11, the oil pressure from the oil pump 6 acts on the oil pressure sensor 16. On the contrary, when the thermostat 10 is closed, only the hydraulic pressure remaining in the bypass of the oil cooler 11 acts on the oil pressure sensor 16, and this hydraulic pressure becomes smaller than that when the thermostat 10 is open. Utilizing the fact that the correlation between the pressure of the oil flowing through the hydraulic pipe 13 and the opening and closing of the thermostat 10 is known, the output of the oil pressure sensor 16 determines the operating state of the thermostat 10 and thus the oil tank 1. The liquid level 18 is detected.

However, in the oil circulation control device of the present invention, the detection of the liquid level 18 of the oil tank is not limited to the oil pressure sensor 16 provided in the hydraulic pipe 13, but is provided in the oil tank 1. It is also possible to directly detect the liquid level 18 of the oil using the provided oil level gauge 43. Further, the oil pressure sensor 16 is preferably attached to the hydraulic pipe 13 through which oil returns from the oil cooler 11, but may be attached to the hydraulic pipe 12.

The pipe 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 9 is the engine 4
This is a pipe for guiding the blow-by gas leaking into the crankcase through the gap between the cylinder and the piston into the oil tank 1. The pipe 21 connected to the oil tank 1 and having the orifice 63 is a pipe for communicating the air filter 22 with the inside of the oil tank 1 and returning the blow-by gas introduced into the oil tank 1 to the air filter 22. On the other hand, the orifice 64 connected to the oil tank 1
A pipe 23 having a return valve 65 and a return valve 65 is a pipe for communicating the throttle valve 24 with the inside of the oil tank 1 and returning blow-by gas into the cylinder again through the throttle valve. The throttle valve 24 is also prevented from freezing by being led to 24. All of these pipes 20, 21, 23 are connected to the top surface 1b of the oil tank 1. A pipe 47 shown in FIG. 9 is a pipe for returning the blow gas from the collecting sump 60 to the air filter 22.

The hydraulic pipe 25 connected to the bottom surface 1a of the oil tank 1 is a drain pipe for draining the lubricating oil in the oil tank 1. In this embodiment, the other end of the drain pipe 25 is the thermostat 10. Bracket 10
It is connected to e and is sealed by the drain plug 26.

In the oil circulation control device of this embodiment, a sub oil tank 27 is provided in addition to the oil tank 1 described above. The sub-oil tank 27 consumes the lubricating oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit 19 described above and the liquid level 18
It is used when it is desired to replenish the hydraulic circuit 19 with lubricating oil, such as when the oil pressure has dropped. It is also used when it is desired to drain the lubricating oil from the hydraulic circuit 19, such as when the lubricating oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit 19 becomes excessive.
Therefore, the capacity of the sub oil tank 27 is not particularly limited, and it is preferable to appropriately select it according to the purpose of use. In the oil circulation control device of the present embodiment, the sub-tank 27 has a capacity of 3.5 liters considering that the total capacity of the oil tank 1 and the hydraulic circuit 19 is 14 liters.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, only one sub-oil tank is provided so that the replenishment and the withdrawal of the lubricating oil are performed in the same sub-tank. It can also be divided into a sub oil tank of and a sub oil tank dedicated to extraction.
In a racing car that runs at high speed, the lubricating oil is heavily consumed.Therefore, a sub-tank is provided to periodically drain a fixed amount of lubricating oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit.
The necessary amount of lubricating oil may be supplied to the hydraulic circuit from another sub oil tank. In this way, in addition to maintaining the liquid level in the oil tank and the total amount of oil, the lubricating oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit can be constantly refreshed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sub oil tank 27 is provided with an oil level gauge 51 for detecting the liquid level of oil. This oil level gauge 51 includes a float 51a and a lever 51 as shown in FIG.
b and the sensing section 51c, and the float 51a attached to the tip of the lever 51b rises and falls depending on the liquid level of the sub oil tank, and an electric signal from the sensing section 51c corresponding to the rotational position of the lever 51b is transmitted. The oil is delivered to the oil meter 52 provided in the room. This allows the driver to immediately recognize the current oil level in the sub oil tank 27.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a hydraulic pipe 28 such as a metal pipe or a flexible hose is connected to the bottom surface 27a of the sub oil tank 27, and the other end of the hydraulic pipe 28 is connected to the blow-by gas pipe 20. It is connected. An electric oil pump 29 for pumping the lubricating oil in the sub oil tank 27 to the pipe 20 is provided in the middle of the hydraulic pipe 28. When the electric oil pump 29 operates, the sub oil tank 27 is activated. The lubricating oil therein is guided to the blow-by gas pipe 20 through the hydraulic pipe 28, and is replenished into the oil tank 1 from here. However, when replenishing the oil in the sub oil tank 27 to the oil tank 1, it is not necessary to use the blow-by gas pipe 20, and the hydraulic pipe 28 may be connected to the oil supply port 50.

On the other hand, the top surface 27b of the sub oil tank 27
A hydraulic pipe 30 such as a metal pipe or a flexible hose is connected to, and the other end of the hydraulic pipe 30 is connected to the drain pipe 25. An electric oil pump 31 for pumping the lubricating oil of the drain pipe 25 into the sub oil tank 27 is provided in the middle of the hydraulic pipe 30, and when the electric oil pump 31 operates, the drain pipe 25 The lubricating oil inside, that is, the lubricating oil inside the oil tank 1 passes through the hydraulic pipe 30 and passes through the sub oil tank 27.
Returned inside. However, when returning the oil in the oil tank 1 to the sub oil tank 27, it is not necessary to use the drain pipe 25, and the hydraulic pipe 30 may be directly connected to the oil tank 1.

The electric oil pumps 29 and 31 are used in this embodiment as means for transferring the lubricating oils respectively stored in the oil tank 1 and the sub oil tank 27 to the other oil tank. The oil pump is not limited to the electric oil pump, and may be a hydraulic pump that uses the driving force of the engine. However, in the case of a pump that uses the driving force of the engine, a clutch for controlling the operation and stop of the pump is required, so an electric pump that operates by the electric power supplied from the vehicle battery or alternator. Is more preferably used.

The operation and stop of the electric oil pumps 29 and 31 can be carried out, for example, by the oil tank 1 installed inside the room by the driver.
It is also possible to perform it by a manual switch while observing the oil meter 44, or to automatically operate and stop the electric oil pumps 29 and 31 using the oil level gauge 43 and the oil pressure sensor 16 described above. In this embodiment, the oil pressure sensor 16 is used to automatically activate and deactivate the electric oil pumps 29 and 31 when the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 rises and falls as the thermostat 10 opens and closes. With respect to other fluctuations of the liquid surface 18, the driver can operate the manual switch 45 to replenish and extract the oil while watching the oil meter 44 provided in the room. did.

That is, the oil pressure information from the oil pressure sensor 16 is sent to the input section of the controller 17,
This hydraulic pressure information is compared with a reference hydraulic pressure value stored in advance in the memory of the controller 17 by the comparison unit of the controller 17. It is preferable that the reference hydraulic pressure value input to the memory of the controller 17 has an upper limit value and a lower limit value. When the oil pressure value detected by the oil pressure sensor 16 is larger than the upper limit value of the reference oil pressure value,
The thermostat 10 opens and the liquid level 1 in the oil tank 1
8 is higher than the steady liquid level, a predetermined time is measured using a timer or the like, an operation command signal is sent to the electric oil pump 31, and the drain pipe 25 supplies the sub oil tank. Drain the lubricating oil to 27. On the contrary, when the oil pressure value detected by the oil pressure sensor 16 is smaller than the lower limit value of the reference oil pressure value, it is determined that the thermostat 10 is closed and the liquid level 18 in the oil tank 1 is lower than the steady level. Then, a predetermined time is measured using a timer or the like, an operation command signal is sent to the electric oil pump 29, and the lubricating oil is replenished from the sub oil tank 27 to the oil tank 1 via the hydraulic pipe 28. To do.

The fluctuation of the liquid surface 18 due to the opening / closing operation of the thermostat 10 is such that the lubricating oil has a temperature above the operating temperature of the thermostat 10 (generally in the range of 70 ° C. to 95 ° C., which varies depending on the type of engine). It often happens when the vehicle is running out, so the driver often does not notice. Therefore, in the present embodiment, such a thermostat 1
The controller 17 is configured to automatically control the fluctuation of the liquid surface 18 due to the opening / closing operation of 0.
However, the liquid level 1 due to the opening / closing operation of the thermostat 10
It is also possible for the driver to manually operate while looking at the oil meter 44 even with respect to the fluctuation of 8. The electronic circuit for storing and comparing the inside of the controller 17 can be easily configured by a person skilled in the art by using commercially available electronic components, and thus will not be described in detail.

On the other hand, while the driver looks at the oil meter 44 in the room, the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 is high.
Alternatively, when it is determined that it is low, the manual switch 45 operates the electric oil pumps 29 and 31,
To replenish the lubricating oil in the sub oil tank 27,
The lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit 19 can be drained. In particular, the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 moves up and down according to the number of revolutions of the engine 4, and the total amount of oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit 19 fluctuates due to expansion of a hose or the like during acceleration, so Fluctuation increases. Therefore, if only the fluctuation of the liquid level 18 is detected and the operation of replenishing or withdrawing the lubricating oil is performed by the automatic control,
Occasionally, a hunting phenomenon occurs when replenishing and draining oil, which is not preferable. In order to prevent such a problem, the oil circulation control device of the present embodiment is configured so that the oil can be replenished and withdrawn even by manual operation.

The hydraulic pipe 32 shown in FIG. 1 has a top surface 27b of the sub oil tank 27 and a top surface 1b of the oil tank 1.
It is a return hydraulic pipe that communicates with and at the time of overflow,
When the lubricating oil in one of the oil tanks 1 and 27 overflows, it is provided to guide the lubricating oil to the other oil tank. In particular, the overflow of lubricating oil causes a problem.
Is the person. Therefore, when it is desired to prevent the oil tank 1 from overflowing, when the oil tank 1 and the sub oil tank 27 are mounted on a vehicle, for example, as shown in FIG.
Sub oil tank 2 rather than oil tank 1 as shown in
7 should be installed at a low position.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, in order to return the blow-by gas that has entered the sub oil tank 27 to the pipe 21,
Pipe 53 with orifice 66 and return valve 67
May be provided. In this case, a pipe for returning blow-by gas to the throttle valve 24 or the pipe 47 may be provided. Providing the blow-by gas return pipe 53 is particularly effective when the amount of oil in the sub oil tank 27 is almost empty. That is, the oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit 19 contains blow-by gas, and when this oil is extracted into the sub-oil tank 27, the blow-by gas also enters the sub-oil tank. Particularly, when the amount of oil in the sub oil tank 27 is extremely small, the blow-by gas contained in the extracted oil fills the sub oil tank 27. Therefore, it is preferable to return the blow-by gas stored in the sub oil tank 27 to the pipe 21 or the like.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 in addition to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, when the thermostat 10 is closed, for example, immediately after the engine 4 is started, or when traveling at a low speed for a short time,
This occurs when the ambient temperature is extremely low and the lubricating oil is cooled by this ambient temperature. On the other hand, when the thermostat 10 is open, the vehicle is running at a high speed (the engine speed is high) for a long time, the ambient temperature is extremely high, and the engine 4 is close to overheating. Occurs in Further, the thermostat 10 may be in an open state when traveling for a long time in a place where the ambient temperature is high even at a low speed. In any case, the temperature of the lubricating oil introduced to the inlet 10a of the thermostat 10 is an appropriate temperature (85% for general lubricating oil).
(° C), the valve in the thermostat 10 is automatically switched, and the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit 19 is guided to the cooling bypass having the oil cooler 11. The lubricating oil is heat-exchanged with the cooling air (cooling water in the case of a water-cooled oil cooler) by the oil cooler 11 provided in the cooling bypass, and as a result, the cooling capacity of the oil cooler 11 is reduced. Accordingly, the lubricating oil is cooled.

In this embodiment, with the thermostat 10 closed, the optimum amount of lubricating oil for the engine 4, that is, the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 is adjusted. Generally, the amount of lubricating oil is adjusted with the thermostat 10 opened, but if the amount of lubricating oil is adjusted with the thermostat 10 closed as in the present embodiment, for example, high-speed running in an area with low temperature It is possible to prevent wear and seizure of the sliding parts of the engine 4 when performing. That is, when the amount of lubricating oil is adjusted with the thermostat 10 opened as in the conventional case, for example, after traveling at a speed of about 60 km / h in an urban area with a high temperature, the vehicle enters an expressway such as an autobahn, When running at a high speed of about 250 km / h for a long time in a low area,
Oil is cooled by ambient temperature, thermostat 1
0 operates and the detour to the oil cooler 11 is stopped. As a result, the total oil circulation amount is reduced, and moreover, the oil consumption amount is increased because the vehicle is traveling at high speed. as a result,
Wear or seizure of sliding parts may occur. However, if the amount of lubricating oil is adjusted in the state where the thermostat 10 is closed, even if the thermostat 11 is closed and the oil circulation amount is reduced, this oil amount will be reduced.
Since it is the optimum amount for the sliding parts, there is no fear of abrasion or seizure of the sliding parts.

The state in which the thermostat 10 is closed as shown in FIG. 1 or the thermostat 1 as shown in FIG.
In any state where 0 is open, for example, 160k
60 when driving a car at a high speed of m / h or more
Compared to the case where an automobile is driven at a normal speed of about km / h, the former consumes a larger amount of lubricating oil even when traveling the same distance. For example, when traveling a distance of 2000 km, the first 1000 km at a normal speed of 60 km / h.
Approximately 1 liter is consumed, and the remaining 1000 km consumes approximately 1.4 liter of lubricating oil. However, when traveling the same distance at 160 km / h, about 1.5 liters of oil is consumed at the first 1000 km, and about 1.7 liters of oil is consumed at the remaining 1000 km. When this reaches a running speed of 210 km / h, the oil consumption reaches the first 1000
It will reach about 2 liters in km and about 2.3 liters in 1000 km later.

Therefore, there are times when it is better to replenish oil when the vehicle is run in various motor sports races represented by the Le Mans 24-hour race, the Daytona 24-hour race, or formula car races. . Further, when a car is run for a long time on a highway such as Germany's Autobahn, the consumption of lubricating oil is large, and it is necessary to stop the car during running to replenish the lubricating oil.

In the vehicle equipped with the oil circulation control device of the present invention, the decrease in the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 is detected by using the oil level gauge 43, which is displayed on the oil meter 44 in the room. As a result, the driver can operate the manual switch 45 to operate the electric oil pump 29 to supply the replenishing lubricating oil contained in the sub oil tank 27 to the oil tank 1 via the hydraulic pipe 28. . In this case, whether the manual control by the driver or the automatic control using the controller 17 is performed, by supplying the lubricating oil from the sub oil tank 27 to the oil tank 1, the liquid level of the oil tank 1 is increased. 1
8 is maintained in the proper position. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the oil shortage due to the consumption of the lubricating oil, and it is possible to prevent wear and seizure of the sliding parts of the engine 4. Since the amount of oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit 19 varies depending on the rotation speed of the engine 4, it is preferable to detect the liquid level 18 in an idling state.

Further, the lubricating oil expands and contracts due to temperature changes, although the expansion coefficient thereof varies slightly depending on the type.
For example, immediately after the vehicle is started, the lubricating oil has a low temperature, so the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 is
The oil will be lower than if it were hot. When the amount of oil supplied to the engine 4 is adjusted at an appropriate temperature of, for example, 85 ° C., the amount of oil will be insufficient immediately after starting. Even in such a case, the effect of the oil circulation control device of the present invention is exhibited.

On the other hand, when replenishing the oil, the lubricating oil stored in the sub oil tank 27 is the hydraulic circuit 1
The same lubricating oil as the lubricating oil circulating through 9 may be used, but a different type of lubricating oil is stored in the sub oil tank 27, and this oil is appropriately supplied to the hydraulic circuit 19 according to consumption and consumption of the lubricating oil. It can also be configured to do so.

That is, a general lubricating oil is provided as a lubricating oil by adding various additives to the base oil. As the base oil, mineral oil or synthetic oil is used, and as lubricating oil used for high-performance automobiles, synthetic oil having wider viscosity temperature characteristics and thermal stability than mineral oil is widely used. Also, as additives to be added to the base oil, antioxidants for preventing the oxidation of lubricating oil, extreme pressure additives and friction for suppressing wear as much as possible to prevent poor lubrication even when the load increases Relaxant, viscosity index improver to reduce viscosity at low temperature operation and decrease viscosity at high temperature operation,
Vaporizer, suction valve and PCV (Positive Crankcase Venti)
A detergent-dispersant or the like is used to prevent clogging of the valve.

The base oil and the additive as described above are adjusted in a compounding ratio according to the purpose and provided with an initial viscosity according to the purpose. However, if the circulation time of the lubricating oil becomes long, the lubricating oil is diluted by the fuel and the viscosity is lowered. Further, it is considered that as the lubricating oil is used, the molecules of the base oil and the additive are subjected to a shearing force and the molecular weight is reduced, which also reduces the viscosity of the lubricating oil.

For example, in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona, which are said to be the most severe of the endurance races, the so-called fuel dilution rate is as high as 15% and the initial kinematic viscosity is 17-18 cSt (100 ° C.). Lubricating oil (S
Even if AE ( society of automotive engineering) 70 ) is used, the kinematic viscosity drops to 9 cSt (100 ° C) when the fuel dilution ratio reaches 15%, which is equivalent to the lubricating oil of SAE30. It becomes the viscosity of.

As described above, in order to solve the problems of fuel dilution and decrease in molecular weight at high speed and long time running, it is conceivable to increase the initial viscosity of the lubricating oil. It is not preferable to use it, because it leads to engine output loss.

However, if the oil circulation control device of the present invention is used, the problem of the decrease in the viscosity of the oil that occurs during long-time running can be solved. That is, if the lubricating oil having the optimum initial viscosity with respect to the output of the engine 4 is put in the oil tank 1 and the viscosity of the lubricating oil decreases as the vehicle continues to run, the sub oil tank 27 Appropriately prepared lubricating oil may be supplied to the oil tank 1. For example, a typical lubricating oil is base oil: additive = about 80%: about 20%. Therefore, for example, if the lubricating oil prepared by increasing the mixing ratio of the additive, for example, the base oil: additive = about 30%: about 70% is added to the sub oil tank, the lubricating oil is consumed. As a result, the lubricating oil having the above-mentioned composition is replenished from the sub oil tank 27. Further, with respect to the fuel dilution, if the lubricating oil in which the viscosity of the base oil is increased, for example, the initially added lubricating oil is SAE40, S
The lubricating oil for the AE65 may be replenished from the sub oil tank.

As described above, according to the present invention, a different kind of lubricating oil from the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit 19 is put in the sub oil tank 27, and various kinds of lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit 19 are stored. It is possible to replenish the hydraulic circuit 19 with an appropriate amount of lubricating oil of a type that suppresses this variation according to the variation of the characteristic.

Of course, if different types of lubricating oils are put in the sub oil tank 27, it is not suitable for simply reducing the amount of lubricating oil such as oil leakage, so that the same type of lubricating oil and a different type of lubricating oil are used. If it is desired to supply supplemental oil, a plurality of sub-oil tanks may be provided, and the sub-oil tanks may be used according to their respective purposes. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, two sub oil tanks 27A, 27
B is provided, and the hydraulic circuit 19 is provided in the sub oil tank 27B.
An oil of a different type from the lubricating oil flowing through is stored in the sub oil tank 27A, and the same type of oil as the lubricating oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit 19 is stored in the sub oil tank 27A. In this case, when the oil amount is simply decreased or increased, the same type of oil is replenished or withdrawn from the hydraulic circuit 19 from the sub oil tank 27A. On the other hand, when the viscosity of the lubricating oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit 19 changes, different types of oil are supplied from the sub oil tank 27B.
Supply to. For this sub oil tank 27B,
A hydraulic pipe and an oil pump for extracting oil from the hydraulic circuit 19 may be omitted, and a hydraulic pipe 54 and an oil pump 55 for supplying oil from the sub oil tank 27B to the oil tank 1 may be provided.

Next, when the thermostat 10 shown in FIG. 1 is closed and the thermostat 10 shown in FIG. 2 is opened, the lubricating oil passing through the oil filter 8 is guided to the oil cooler 11 by the thermostat 10. After being cooled here, thermostat 1 again
It returns to 0 and is finally returned to the oil tank 1. Therefore, in the state in which the thermostat 10 is opened, the circuit length of the hydraulic circuit 19 becomes longer by the length of the cooling bypass circuit than in the state in which the thermostat 10 is closed.
The amount of lubricating oil circulating through 9 also increases. as a result,
The liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 that was appropriate when the thermostat 10 was closed is the liquid level 1 shown by the dotted line in FIG.
It goes up to 8 ', and the lubricating oil becomes excessive.
In such a case, the electric oil pump 31 is operated to drain the lubricating oil from the drain pipe 25 of the oil tank 1 to the sub oil tank 27 via the hydraulic pipe 30. The operation for operating the electric oil pump 31 may be automatically controlled by the controller 17 by taking in the oil pressure information from the oil pressure sensor 16, or the driver may manually operate while observing the oil meter 44. The oil pump 31 may be operated. However,
In general, it is extremely difficult for the driver to detect the opening and closing of the thermostat 10 while watching the oil meter 44. Therefore, in the present embodiment, regarding the fluctuation of the liquid surface 18 of the oil tank due to the opening / closing operation of the thermostat 10, the oil pressure sensor 16
Is used to automatically detect.

As described above, the thermostat 1
When 0 is opened, the lubricating oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit 19 is drained to the sub oil tank 27, but when the thermostat 10 is closed or the lubricating oil is consumed, the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 drops. When this is done, lubricating oil is replenished from the sub oil tank 27 to the hydraulic circuit 19.

As described above, even if the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 changes due to the addition of the oil cooler 11, the oil circulation control device of the present invention can maintain the liquid level 18 constant. it can. Therefore, the type of lubricating oil most suitable for the operation of the engine 4 can be supplied in the most suitable amount. Moreover, since the liquid surface 18 of the oil tank 1 is maintained at a fixed position even if the oil cooler 11 is added, it is possible to mount the oil cooler 11 having a large size, that is, a large cooling capacity.

Particularly in the air-cooled engine, the lubricating oil also plays an important role in cooling the engine 4. Therefore, the larger the displacement of the engine 4 of the automobile, the larger the capacity of the oil cooler 11 needs to be. is there. If the oil circulation control device of the present invention is used, even if the oil cooler 11 has a large capacity, the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 when the thermostat 10 is opened and the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 when closed are the same. Because it can be maintained at a level,
When the oil cooler 11 having a capacity of about 3.9 liters (total capacity of oil cooler and hydraulic pipe) is mounted, the displacement of the engine 4 was limited to about 4000 cc. Since the capacity can be increased to about 8 liters, the displacement of the engine 4 can be set to 5000 cc or more. in this case,
If the capacity of the hydraulic circuit 19 is designed so that the oil circulation amount of the hydraulic circuit 19 becomes the necessary minimum, even when the vehicle is started, the cold oil has an appropriate temperature (depending on the engine, Generally 70 ° C to 95
A short warm-up time is sufficient to raise the temperature to ℃).
The engine to which the oil circulation control device of the present invention is applied is not limited to the air-cooled engine described above, but can be applied to a water-cooled engine.

Further, according to the present invention, since the rise of the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1 is suppressed, it is possible to prevent the oil from scattering to the spark plug. As a result, the engine 4
It is possible to use a cold-type spark plug that is more excellent in heat dissipation and hard to overheat, and it is possible to further promote higher output of the engine 4. When this cold type spark plug is used, ignition failure often occurs due to oil scattering. Therefore, at low speed traveling, the manual switch 45 is operated to intentionally change the liquid level 18 of the oil tank 1. It is preferable to lower it, that is, reduce the total amount of oil.

In addition, according to the present invention, the oil tank 1
Since the rise of the liquid level 18 is prevented, the overflow phenomenon from the oil tank 1 to the slot valve 24 or the air filter 22 can be prevented.

The embodiment described above is an embodiment in which the oil circulation control device of the present invention is applied to a so-called dry sump type engine oil circulation control device. However, the oil circulation control device of the present invention is a so-called wet sump type engine. It can also be applied to an oil circulation control device. Figure 3
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic circuit showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wet sump type engine oil circulation control device. Compared with the dry sump type shown in FIG. 1, in the wet sump type shown in FIG.
An oil pan 1 ', which is not separately provided and is attached to the lower surface of the cylinder block 33, functions as the oil tank 1 and the recovery sump shown in FIG. Further, since the oil pan 1'is structured to be exposed on the lower surface of the vehicle body, the lubricating oil stored in the oil pan 1'is cooled, but in the present embodiment, an oil cooler for further cooling the lubricating oil. 11 'is provided. Further, the hydraulic pipe 12 'for guiding the lubricating oil to the oil cooler 11' and the lubricating oil from the oil cooler 11 'are fed to the hydraulic circuit 19'.
There is provided a hydraulic pipe 13 'for returning to. further,
Depending on the temperature of the lubricating oil that circulates in the hydraulic circuit 19 ', this lubricating oil may be supplied to the oil cooler 11', or
Alternatively, a thermostat 10 'is provided for selecting whether to pass the oil cooler 11' as it is without flowing it. Further, an oil pressure sensor 16 ′ is provided in the middle of the above-mentioned hydraulic pipe 13 ′.
The hydraulic pressure in 3'is detected and output to the controller 17 '. If the wet sump type engine oil circulation control device is provided with the oil cooler 11 ′, the oil circulation amount of the hydraulic circuit 19 ′ can be set to a necessary minimum, and thus the warm-up operation time for heating the oil is particularly shortened. There is an advantage.

The other structure is almost the same as that of the dry sump type engine oil circulation control device shown in FIG. 1, and an oil pump 5'comprising a trochoid pump, a gear pump and the like.
The lubricating oil accumulated in the oil pan 1 ′ is sucked up from the oil strainer 34 by the suction force of. The lubricating oil sucked up by the oil pump 5 ′ passes through the oil filter 8 ′ from the discharge port 5b ′ of the oil pump 5 ′, and then the cylinder block 33, the cylinder head 35, and the crankshaft 36 of the engine 4 ′.
Through a number of oil supply passages 37 formed in the piston 38, the cylinder 39, the crankshaft 3
6, the components are rubbed by sliding, such as the connecting rod 40 and the bearing, and are rotatively ejected. Then, the lubricating oil injected to each component is used as the cylinder head 35 and the cylinder block 3 of the engine 4 '.
The oil naturally falls into the oil pan 1 ′ through a large number of oil return passages 41 formed in 3 and the like, and along the wall surface of the crankcase 42. This constitutes a hydraulic circuit 19 'for wet sump type engine oil circulation control. Also,
When the thermostat 10 'is opened, the lubricating oil sucked up by the oil pump 5'is transferred from the thermostat 10' through the hydraulic pipe 12 'to the oil cooler 11'.
After being cooled here, it is returned to the thermostat 10 'again via the hydraulic pipe 13', and is sent to the oil supply passage 37 from here.

In the oil circulation control device of this embodiment, a sub oil tank 27 'is provided in addition to the oil pan 1'described above. The sub oil tank 27 'is used when it is desired to replenish the lubricating oil, such as when the lubricating oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit 19' is consumed.
In addition, the lubricating oil flowing through the hydraulic circuit 19 'may be guided to the oil cooler 11' so that the liquid level 1 of the oil pan 1'is increased.
It is also used when you want to drain the lubricating oil, such as when 8'has risen. Therefore, the sub oil tank 2
The capacity of 7'is not particularly limited and is preferably selected appropriately according to the purpose of use.

As shown in FIG. 3, the sub oil tank 2
A hydraulic pipe 28 'such as a metal pipe or a flexible hose is connected to the bottom surface 27a' of 7 ', and the other end of the hydraulic pipe 28' is connected to the side wall of the oil pan 1 '. The hydraulic pipe 28 'may be connected to the oil supply port 50' as shown in FIG. 8, instead of being connected to the side wall of the oil pan 1 '. An electric oil pump 29 'for pumping the lubricating oil in the sub oil tank 27' to the oil pan 1'is provided in the middle of the hydraulic pipe 28 '. When activated, the lubricating oil in the sub-oil tank 27 'is replaced by the hydraulic pipe 2.
It is supplied to the oil pan 1'through 8 '.

On the other hand, the top surface 27 of the sub oil tank 27 '
b'is a hydraulic pipe such as a metal pipe or a flexible hose 3
0'is connected, and the other end of the hydraulic pipe 30 'is connected to the bottom surface of the oil pan 1'. Also, this hydraulic pipe 30 '
In the middle of the process, the electric oil pump 3 for pumping the lubricating oil for the oil pan 1'into the sub oil tank 27 '.
1'is provided, and when this electric oil pump 31 'is operated, the lubricating oil in the oil pan 1'is replaced by the hydraulic pipe 3'.
It is returned to the sub oil tank 27 'through 0'.

Oil pan 1'and sub oil tank 27 '
In the present embodiment, electric oil pumps 29 'and 31' are used as means for transferring the lubricating oils respectively stored in and to the other oil tank, but the present invention is particularly limited to electric oil pumps. Nothing, engine 4 '
It may be a hydraulic pump or the like that utilizes the driving force of. To operate and stop the electric oil pumps 29 'and 31', for example, an oil level gauge capable of detecting the liquid level 18 'of the oil pan is provided in the oil pan 1', and the liquid level detected by this oil level gauge is placed inside the room. This can be done by displaying on an oil meter provided and the driver operating a manual switch 45 ′ provided in the room while observing the oil meter. In addition, when the liquid level 18 'rises or falls with the opening / closing of the thermostat 10', the electric oil pumps 29 ', 31' are automatically operated and stopped using the oil pressure sensor 16 'described above. You can also

3 and the above-described embodiment, an example in which the oil circulation control device of the present invention is applied to an automobile engine having a wet sump type engine oil circulation control device and an oil cooler is shown. There is no problem even if the oil circulation control device of the present invention is applied to an engine of an automobile equipped with a wet sump type engine oil circulation control device.

Even in an automobile that employs such a wet sump type engine oil circulation control device, the consumption and temperature of the lubricating oil will decrease as in the automobile that employs the dry sump type engine oil circulation control device described above.
In addition to the replenishment of lubricating oil for contraction due to contraction, the replenishment and withdrawal of lubricating oil against the fluctuation of the liquid level 18 'due to the opening and closing of the thermostat 10', and the replenishment of additives for the deterioration of the lubricating oil performance, etc. It can be used as a purpose.

As described above, by using the oil circulation control device of the present invention, whether it is a dry sump type or a wet sump type engine oil circulation control device, regardless of the presence or absence of the oil coolers 11 and 11 '. It is possible to maintain the most suitable amount of lubricating oil for the hydraulic circuits 19 and 19 ', and as a result, it is possible to prevent wear and seizure of each sliding component of the engine 4', ignition failure, and the like.
Further, the lubricating oil can be replenished and withdrawn even while the vehicle is running, and the hands and the like are not soiled when the lubricating oil is replenished and withdrawn.

Although the invention has been described by way of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will clearly understand that the invention can be variously modified within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0095]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to replenish the lubricating oil from the sub oil sump into the hydraulic circuit according to the consumption amount of the lubricating oil even while the automobile is operating. It is possible to supply a sufficient amount of oil to the sliding portion of the engine, and to prevent wear and seizure of sliding parts. Further, according to the present invention, since the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit can be extracted into the sub oil sump according to the increase in the circulating amount of the lubricating oil even while the automobile is operating, the lubricating oil It is possible to prevent the ignition failure of the spark plug due to the increase. Also, replenishment and withdrawal of this lubricating oil is
Since it is not necessary to stop the car etc. by hand,
It is especially effective when traveling at high speed for a long time. Further, according to the present invention, an appropriate type of lubricating oil can be replenished according to the fluctuation of the viscosity of the oil even while the vehicle is running, so that the problem such as fuel dilution can be solved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a hydraulic circuit showing an embodiment of the present invention (a thermostat is closed).

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a hydraulic circuit showing an embodiment of the present invention (a thermostat is open).

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic circuit showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the oil pump of FIG. 1.

5 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic circuit showing another embodiment of the overflow pipe of FIG.

6 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic circuit showing an aspect of a blow-by gas return pipe of the sub oil tank of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic circuit showing a mode in which a plurality of sub oil tanks are provided.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a hydraulic circuit showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic circuit showing oil circulation to a turbocharger.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Oil tank 1 '... oil pan 4, 4 '... engine 5, 6 ... Oil pump 10, 10 '... thermostat 11, 11 '... Oil cooler 12, 12 ', 13, 13' ... hydraulic pipe 16, 16 '... Pressure sensor 17, 17 '... Controller 19, 19 '... hydraulic circuit 27, 27 ', 27A, 27B ... Sub oil tank 28, 28 ', 30, 30' ... hydraulic pipe 29, 29 ', 31, 31' ... Electric oil pump 43 ... Oil level gauge 44 ... Oil meter

Front page continuation (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F01M 11/00 F01M 11/06

Claims (18)

(57) [Claims] [1 claim: a main oil sump lubricating oil is accumulated, is supplied to said lubricating oil pooled in the main oil sump to the site of interest of the engine is supplied to the site of interest of the engine A hydraulic circuit for returning the lubricating oil to the main oil sump, an oil pump provided in the hydraulic circuit for circulating the lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit, and at least one sub for storing the lubricating oil. An oil sump, at least one hydraulic pipe connecting the sub oil sump to the hydraulic circuit, and at least one of the sub oil sump and the hydraulic circuit to the other through the hydraulic pipe to supply lubricating oil. Transfer means for transferring at least a part, and cooling the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit An oil cooling means for supplying the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit to the oil cooling means and a cooling bypass pipe for returning the lubricating oil to the hydraulic circuit, and circulating the hydraulic circuit. Depending on the temperature of the lubricating oil,
A thermostat for switching the circulation path of the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit to a path circulating only the hydraulic circuit and a path passing through the cooling bypass pipe and the oil cooling means, and the cooling bypass pipe. And a pressure detection means for detecting the pressure of the lubricating oil flowing through the cooling bypass pipe, and an operation signal for operating the transfer means based on the oil pressure of the lubricating oil detected by the pressure detection means. A control means for outputting to the transfer means, wherein the control means for outputting an operation signal to the transfer means has a predetermined predetermined pressure of the lubricating oil detected by the pressure detection means. The engine that determines whether the pressure is within the pressure range and outputs an operation signal to the transfer means for a predetermined time when the pressure is outside the range. Oil circulation control device. 2. An oil amount detecting means for detecting the amount of lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit, and an operation signal for operating the transfer means based on the amount of lubricating oil detected by the oil amount detecting means. The engine oil circulation control device according to claim 1, further comprising control means for outputting to the transfer means. 3. The control means for outputting an operation signal to the transfer means determines whether the lubricating oil amount detected by the oil amount detecting means is within a predetermined oil amount range. If it is out of the above range, means for outputting to the transfer means an operation signal for operating the transfer means until the amount of lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit falls within the predetermined oil quantity range. The engine oil circulation control device according to claim 2, further comprising: 4. applied to a rotary engine having a four-cycle fuel engine or a spark plug having a spark plug, an engine oil circulation control apparatus mounted on a vehicle, the main oil sump lubricating oil is accumulated, the A hydraulic circuit for supplying the lubricating oil stored in the main oil sump to the target portion of the engine and returning the lubricating oil supplied to the target portion of the engine to the main oil sump, An oil pump provided in the hydraulic circuit for circulating the lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit, at least one sub-oil sump in which lubricating oil is stored, and at least connecting the sub-oil sump and the hydraulic circuit. One hydraulic pipe, and the sub oil sump and the oil through the hydraulic pipe. A transfer means for transferring at least a part of the lubricating oil to and from the circuit, an oil cooling means for cooling the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit, and the lubricating circulating in the hydraulic circuit And a cooling bypass pipe for supplying the lubricating oil to the oil cooling means and returning the lubricating oil to the hydraulic circuit. 5. Depending on the temperature of the lubricating oil circulating the hydraulic circuit, the circulation path of the lubricating oil circulating the hydraulic circuit, the cooling bypass pipe and the a path for circulating only the hydraulic circuit claims, further comprising a thermostat for switching to a path through even the oil cooling means
Item 4. The engine oil circulation control device according to item 4 . 6. The lubricating oil is accumulated, the engine
Of the main oil sump which is separately provided from the oil pan, the is supplied to the site of interest of the engine with the lubricating oil accumulated in the main oil sump is supplied to the site of interest of the engine, the oil Collected in bread
A hydraulic circuit for returning the reduced lubricating oil to the main oil sump, an oil pump provided in the hydraulic circuit for circulating the lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit, and at least a lubricating oil pool One sub-oil sump, at least one hydraulic pipe connecting the sub-oil sump to the hydraulic circuit, and at least one lubricating oil between the sub-oil sump and the hydraulic circuit through the hydraulic pipe. And a transfer means for transferring parts, a dry sump type engine oil circulation control device. 7. An oil cooling means for cooling the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit, and supplying the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit to the oil cooling means and supplying the lubricating oil to the lubricating oil. The engine oil circulation control device according to claim 6, further comprising a cooling bypass pipe for returning to the hydraulic circuit. 8. A circulating path of the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit, a path circulating only in the hydraulic circuit, the cooling bypass pipe, and the cooling bypass pipe according to the temperature of the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit. The engine oil circulation control device according to claim 7, further comprising a thermostat for switching to a path that also passes through the oil cooling means. 9. A pressure detecting means provided in the cooling bypass pipe for detecting the pressure of the lubricating oil flowing through the cooling bypass pipe, and the pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure of the lubricating oil based on the oil pressure of the lubricating oil detected by the pressure detecting means. The engine oil circulation control device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, further comprising control means for outputting an operation signal for operating the transfer means to the transfer means. Wherein said control means for outputting an actuation signal to said transfer means, whether within a predetermined pressure range pressure is predetermined in the lubricating oil detected by said pressure detecting means 10. The engine oil circulation control device according to claim 9 , further comprising means for outputting an operation signal to the transfer means for a predetermined time when it is out of the range. 11. An oil amount detecting means for detecting an amount of lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit, and an operation signal for operating the transfer means based on the amount of lubricating oil detected by the oil amount detecting means. The engine oil circulation control device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, further comprising control means for outputting to the transfer means. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the control means for outputting an actuation signal to said transfer means, whether it is within a range of a predetermined amount of oil lubricating oil amount detected is predetermined by the oil quantity detection means If it is out of the above range, means for outputting to the transfer means an operation signal for operating the transfer means until the amount of lubricating oil in the hydraulic circuit falls within the predetermined oil quantity range. The engine oil circulation control device according to claim 11, further comprising: Wherein said main oil sump, and the engine is an oil tank provided separately from claim 1 to 1
1. The engine oil circulation control device according to any one of 1 . 14. The main oil sump is an oil pan attached to the engine .
The engine oil circulation control device according to any one of claims . 15. The engine oil circulation control device according to claim 13 , wherein a lubricating oil of a different type from the lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit is stored in the sub oil tank. 16. The lubricating oil circulating in the hydraulic circuit has a mixing ratio of additives including an antioxidant, an extreme pressure additive, a friction modifier, a viscosity index improver, and a detergent dispersant in the sub oil tank. The engine oil circulation control device according to claim 15, wherein the lubricating oil adjusted to have a higher mixing ratio than the additive ratio of the oil is stored. 17. The engine oil circulation control device according to claim 1, wherein the engine includes a turbocharger . 18. The engine oil circulation control device according to claim 1, which is applied to an engine having a cold plug.