JP3874191B2 - Air cleaner device for internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine.

  In an internal combustion engine equipped with a so-called PCV system that stops blow-by gas from being released into the combustion chamber and burns it back into the combustion chamber, fresh air is introduced into the cylinder head cover (or crankcase) of the internal combustion engine and the upstream side of the throttle body of the intake system. The pipe is connected to the downstream side of the throttle body with a blow-by gas discharge pipe. During normal operation such as when the internal combustion engine is under low load, fresh air is introduced into the engine via the fresh air introduction pipe. Then, the blow-by gas is returned to the combustion chamber and burned.

However, when the internal combustion engine is under a high load, blow-by gas flows back through the fresh air introduction pipe due to blow-back of the blow-by gas, and is discharged into the intake system upstream of the throttle body.
There is an air cleaner on the upstream side of the throttle body, and blow-by gas oil mist may contaminate the air cleaner element.

Therefore, an example in which the air cleaner element is prevented from being damaged by the oil mist of blow-by gas has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-294271

  The fresh air introduction pipe in Patent Document 1 is connected to an opening facing the clean side at the top of the air cleaner case, a blow-by gas chamber is formed so as to surround the opening, and the bottom surface of the blow-by gas chamber is the direction of the intake pipe Inclined downward.

  Therefore, the blow-by gas discharged from the opening after flowing back through the fresh air introduction pipe can be separated from the gas and liquid in the blow-by gas chamber to prevent moisture from flowing toward the intake pipe along the bottom surface and contaminating the air cleaner element. it can.

However, the moisture that has entered the intake pipe reaches the throttle body depending on the inclination angle of the intake pipe, or conversely returns to the air cleaner case.
If water reaches the throttle body and freezes in a low-temperature environment, the operation of the valve will be hindered.

  In addition, when water is transferred from the intake pipe into the air cleaner case, the water flows along the inner surface of the case and gets caught in the gap between the support member of the case that supports the air cleaner element so as to sandwich the periphery of the air cleaner element. If freezing occurs in a low temperature environment, the support portion of the case opens due to the ice expanded by freezing, resulting in a poor seal.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine that can treat water that has entered the air cleaner case without affecting the air cleaner element. It is in.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the flat air cleaner element is supported by the air cleaner case at the outer peripheral end of the flange on the periphery of the element body, and is usually stretched in the air cleaner case in a substantially horizontal posture. In the air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine that partitions the air cleaner case vertically, an air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine in which a liquid pool recess is formed in the flange of the air cleaner element.

  Since the liquid reservoir recess is formed in the flange of the air cleaner element, the water that has entered the air cleaner case can be stored in the liquid reservoir recess and processed by evaporation, so that the water does not reach the element body and the seal support, The trouble of the throttle valve and the air cleaner due to water can be avoided.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine according to the first aspect, when the air cleaner element is inclined, the liquid reservoir recess is formed below the seal support portion of the flange. And

  Even if water flows down along the inner surface of the air cleaner case, adhesion to the seal support portion is suppressed, and when it reaches the flange of the air cleaner element, it flows downward on the inclined flange surface and enters the liquid reservoir recess.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine according to the first or second aspect, the liquid reservoir recess is formed along the seal support portion.

By forming the liquid reservoir recess along the seal support portion, the volume of the liquid reservoir recess can be increased.
It is easy to hold the air cleaner element using the liquid reservoir recess during maintenance.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine according to the first aspect, the liquid reservoir recess is formed in a portion of the flange between the element body and the seal support portion other than the minimum portion. It is characterized by being.

  By providing the liquid reservoir recess in the flange portion other than the minimum width portion between the element main body and the seal support portion, the rigidity of the flange portion can be increased.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine according to the fourth aspect, the liquid reservoir recess is formed in a portion where the width between the element main body and the seal support portion of the flange is maximum. It is characterized by that.

  The flange portion having the maximum width between the element main body and the seal support portion is the portion having the lowest rigidity, and by providing a liquid pool recess in the same portion, the rigidity of the flange portion can be increased.

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 10.
FIG. 1 shows a portion of an intake system in an internal combustion engine mounted on a four-wheeled vehicle to which an air cleaner device 10 according to the present embodiment is applied.

  The internal combustion engine is a four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine. A throttle body 3 is connected to an intake manifold 2 in which an intake pipe extending from an intake port of a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine is gathered. An extending intake connecting pipe 4 is connected to the air cleaner device 10.

  The air cleaner device 10 includes an upper air cleaner case 11 and a lower air cleaner case 12 which are divided into upper and lower parts, and an air cleaner element 13 sandwiched therebetween, and an intake connecting pipe 4 is connected to the upper air cleaner case 11 to form a case. It communicates with the clean side.

A communication pipe 5 connected to the lower air cleaner case 12 and communicating with the dust side in the case extends to the front of the vehicle body (in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 1) and reaches an air intake 6 that opens forward.
A branch pipe 5 a branched from the middle of the communication pipe 5 is connected to the resonator 7.
An internal combustion engine is located below the resonator 7 that is largely flattened.

The air intake system is configured as described above, and the air taken in from the air intake port 6 is sucked into the dust side of the air cleaner device 10 through the communication pipe 5 and purified by the air cleaner element 13 to be air cleaner device 10. From the clean side, the fuel passes through the intake connecting pipe 4, passes through the throttle body 3, mixes the fuel from the fuel injection valve through the intake pipe 2, and reaches the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.
Intake sound due to air passing through the communication pipe 5 is absorbed by the resonator 7 and reduced.

  As described above with reference to FIG. 2, the air cleaner device 10 is formed by combining the upper air cleaner case 11 and the lower air cleaner case 12 with the air cleaner element 13 interposed therebetween.

  The upper air cleaner case 11 has a substantially rectangular box shape, and as shown in FIG. 3, a rectangular frame-shaped opening end surface opened downward serves as a mating surface 11a, and bolt holes are formed in mounting boss portions 11b bulging at approximately four corners. 11c is drilled.

A joining tube 11d is formed to protrude obliquely from one corner of the rectangular box-shaped side wall, and the joining tube 11d communicates with the inside of the case.
A pair of support pieces 11e, 11e are projected in parallel to each other on both sides of the inwardly extending portion of the joint pipe 11d, and long grooves 11f, 11f are formed on end surfaces of the support pieces 11e, 11e.

  Inside the upper air cleaner case 11, ribs 11g are formed in a lattice shape at portions excluding the periphery of the pair of support pieces 11e, 11e.

On the other hand, the lower air cleaner case 12 is composed of a case main body portion 12a having a substantially rectangular box shape and a connecting portion 12b bulging rearwardly. As shown in FIG. 4, a rectangular frame opened above the case main body portion 12a. The upper opening end surface is a mating surface 12c, and a nut 12e is fixed to a mounting boss portion 12d bulging at substantially four corners.
A joining tube 12f is formed to protrude from the connecting portion 12b.

As shown in FIG. 5, the air cleaner element 13 has a flat rectangular shape, the element body 13a is folded in a bellows shape, and a flange 13b extends around the element body 13a.
The outer peripheral edge portion of the flange 13b is a seal support portion 13c supported via a seal member 17, and this rectangular annular seal support portion 13c is formed by the mating surfaces 11a of the upper air cleaner case 11 and the lower air cleaner case 12. It corresponds to 12c.

  A wide flange portion 13d having a large area is formed by obliquely missing one corner of the element body 13a, and the element body 13a is oriented obliquely with respect to the edge of the element body 13a that is obliquely missing in the wide flange portion 13d. A liquid reservoir recess 14 which is a long groove is formed at a predetermined position.

  Such an air cleaner element 13 is united so that the upper air cleaner case 11 and the lower air cleaner case 12 are sandwiched between them as shown in FIG.

  At that time, the seal member 17 is fitted to the seal support portion 13c on the outer peripheral edge of the air cleaner element 13, and the sealing member 17 is sandwiched between the mating surfaces 11a and 12c of the upper air cleaner case 11 and the lower air cleaner case 12. The interior is defined as a lower dust side and an upper clean side (see FIG. 10).

  The four mounting boss portions 11b of the upper air cleaner case 11 and the four mounting boss portions 12d of the lower air cleaner case 12 are in contact with each other, and the bolts 18 are passed through the bolt holes 11c of the mounting boss portion 11b. The upper air cleaner case 11 and the lower air cleaner case 12 are united by screwing into the nut 12e of the boss portion 12d.

Inside the upper air cleaner case 11, an air funnel 15 which is a duct extending in the extending direction of the joining pipe 11d is attached.
Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, the air funnel 15 has a funnel-shaped funnel body 15a in which one upstream opening of a cylinder having the same diameter as that of the joining pipe 11d is gradually increased in diameter. Mounting pieces 15b and 15b protrude from the outer surface of the funnel body 15a to the left and right.

The left and right mounting pieces 15b and 15b are long in the direction of the central axis C of the air funnel 15, and protrusions 15c and 15c are formed on the top surfaces of the mounting pieces 15b and 15b in the long direction.
The air funnel 15 has a communication port 16 formed by notching the lower side of the downstream opening of the funnel body 15a.

The air funnel 15 as described above is attached by supporting the pair of left and right attachment pieces 15b, 15b on the pair of support pieces 11e, 11e inside the upper air cleaner case 11.
The protrusions 15c and 15c of the attachment pieces 15b and 15b are fitted into the long grooves 11f and 11f of the support pieces 11e and 11e, and are ultrasonically welded to attach the air funnel 15 to the inside of the upper air cleaner case 11 as shown in FIG. It is done.

  The air funnel 15 attached to the pair of support pieces 11e, 11e of the upper air cleaner case 11 has a downstream opening end face with the central axis C of the funnel body 15a aligned with the central axis of the joining pipe 11d having substantially the same diameter. Is in contact with the opening end surface of the joint tube 11d in the case, and the joint tube 11d is extended into the case.

  However, a communication port 16 opened downward is located at the contact portion between the joining pipe 11d and the funnel main body 15a, which communicates the inside and outside of the funnel main body 15a.

  The air funnel 15 is separate from the upper air cleaner case 11 and is attached to the inside of the upper air cleaner case 11 by the mounting pieces 15b, 15b of the air funnel 15, so that the upper air cleaner case 11 can be easily molded.

The formation of the air funnel 15 is facilitated by the communication port 16 being formed by a notch.
Further, since the communication port 16 of the air funnel 15 is formed at a position avoiding the mounting pieces 15b and 15b, the mounting rigidity is not lowered.

  When the upper air cleaner case 11 having such an air funnel 15 attached therein is combined with the lower air cleaner case 12 with the air cleaner element 13 therebetween, as described above, the communication opening opened below the air funnel 15 A liquid reservoir recess 14 formed in the air cleaner element 13 is positioned substantially directly below 16 (see FIG. 10).

  In the air cleaner apparatus 10 having the above-described configuration, the intake coupling pipe 4 is connected to the joining pipe 11d of the upper air cleaner case 11, the communication pipe 5 is connected to the joining pipe 12f of the lower air cleaner case 12, and is supported by the vehicle body. However, as shown in FIG. 10, the air cleaner element 13 is supported in a tilted posture with the rear side somewhat lowered.

  Accordingly, the liquid reservoir recess 14 on the front side of the air cleaner element 13 is at a high position, and the joining pipe 11d and the air funnel 15 parallel to the air cleaner element 13 are also slightly inclined.

  A fresh air introduction pipe 20 communicating with the inside of the cylinder head cover or the crankcase of the internal combustion engine is connected in the vicinity of the connection portion of the intake coupling pipe 4 with the joining pipe 11d, and the air cleaner is connected via the fresh air introduction pipe 20. Fresh air is introduced into the crankcase of the internal combustion engine from the clean side of the device 10.

  Although not shown in the figure, a blow-by gas return passage communicates between the breather chamber in the cylinder head cover or the crankcase and the downstream side of the throttle body 3, and a PCV system is configured to return the blow-by gas to the combustion chamber for combustion. Yes.

  In the air cleaner device 10, the air funnel 15 is formed so as to protrude into the upper air cleaner case 11, thereby extending the length of the intake connecting pipe 4 to secure the pipe length using the intake pulsation and maintaining the necessary torque characteristics. I am doing so.

  By forming a communication port 16 in a part of the air funnel 15, the inside of the air funnel 15 and the inside of the upper air cleaner case 11 are made to communicate with each other so that the inside of the upper air cleaner case 11 acts as a resonator. Resonance can be prevented by suppressing air vibration such as operating noise by resonance.

  A fresh air introduction pipe 20 is connected to the intake connecting pipe 4 so as to introduce fresh air from the air cleaner device 10 into the cylinder head cover of the internal combustion engine. The blow-by gas flows back through the fresh air introduction pipe 20 and is discharged from the opening 20 a of the fresh air introduction pipe 20 to the intake connecting pipe 4.

  At that time, the water-separated water of the blow-by gas flows down along the inner surface of the intake connecting pipe 4 from the opening 20a of the fresh air introduction pipe 20 as shown by the broken line arrow in FIG. The air cleaner case 11 enters the upper air cleaner case 11, but can be drained by dripping downward from the communication port 16 opened in the downward direction by a cutout of the air funnel 15.

Since the liquid reservoir recess 14 of the air cleaner element 13 is positioned almost directly below the communication port 16, the water dripped downward accumulates in the liquid reservoir recess 14.
The water accumulated in the liquid reservoir recess 14 is treated by evaporation.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water from being applied to the element main body 13a of the air cleaner element 13 and causing problems.

  Further, the upstream portion of the intake air connection pipe 4 from the opening 20a of the fresh air introduction pipe 20 and the joint pipe 11d are inclined downward in the direction of the air cleaner device 10, so that the intake connection pipe 4 is connected to the intake air connection pipe 4 from the opening 20a of the fresh air introduction pipe 20. The water flowing down along the inner surface flows toward the air cleaner device 10 and does not flow toward the throttle body 3 side.

  Therefore, there is no problem that water enters the throttle body 3 and freezes in a low-temperature environment to hinder the operation of the valve.

  Since the air cleaner element 13 is also inclined and the seal member 17 in the vicinity of the liquid reservoir recess 14 is positioned above the liquid reservoir recess 14, water dripping downward from the communication port 16 of the air funnel 15 is sealed member 17. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the seal member 17 from causing a seal failure due to water entering the seal portion sandwiched between the upper air cleaner case 11 and the lower air cleaner case 12 and expanding due to freezing. .

The larger the volume of the liquid reservoir recess 14, the better it will not overflow, but by forming it along the seal support portion 13 c of the air cleaner element 13, the space of the flange 13 b can be effectively used to increase the volume of the recess. Can do.
Further, it is easy to hold the air cleaner element 13 by using the liquid reservoir recess 14 during maintenance.

The flange portion having the largest width between the element main body 13a and the seal support portion 13c is the portion having the lowest rigidity, and since the liquid pool recess 14 is provided in the same portion, the rigidity of the flange portion is increased. Can do.
In addition, the rigidity of the said flange part can be improved by providing a liquid pool recessed part in flange parts other than the part where the width | variety between the element main body 13a and the seal | sticker support part 13c is the minimum.

  In the air funnel 15 in the present embodiment, the notch in the downstream opening of the funnel body 15a is used as the connection port 16, but an example in which the connection port is formed in another configuration is shown in FIG.

That is, the present air funnel 30 has no notch in the downstream opening of the funnel-shaped funnel body 30a provided with mounting pieces on the left and right sides, and the downstream opening end face is from the opening end face in the case of the joining pipe 11d of the upper air cleaner case 11. It is located so as to form a connection port 31 with a gap between them.
Note that members other than the air funnel 30 are the same as those in the above embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used.

  Even with such a configuration, the pipe length of the intake connecting pipe 4 is substantially extended by the air funnel 30 to the inside of the air cleaner case to secure the pipe length using the intake inertia and the intake pulsation, and necessary torque characteristics are maintained. By connecting the inside of the air funnel 30 and the inside of the air cleaner case through the connection port 31 at the opening end of the air funnel 30, the inside of the case can act as a resonator to suppress resonance of air vibrations such as device operating noise by resonance to prevent resonance. it can.

Then, the shape of the air funnel 30 is simplified and it is easy to ensure rigidity.
Further, since the air funnel 30 is attached away from the opening end face in the case of the joining pipe 11d of the upper air cleaner case 11, the attachment is easy without requiring accuracy.

  Further, the connection port 31 at the open end of the air funnel 30 is also used as a drain port as in the above embodiment.

  The opening diameter of the opening end in the case of the joining pipe 11d in the upper air cleaner case 11 is made larger than the inner diameter of the opening end of the downstream end of the air funnel 30, so that the opening of the joining pipe 11d connected to the intake connecting pipe 4 and the air funnel 30 It is possible to absorb the deviation of the center axis of the, and high installation accuracy is not required.

  Further, the air cleaner element 13 in the above embodiment has a shape in which the liquid reservoir recess 14 is oriented obliquely with respect to the edge of the element body 13a, and the element body 13a has a rectangular corner portion missing obliquely. However, as shown in FIG. 12, in the air cleaner element 40, the element body 40a has a substantially perfect rectangular shape, and the liquid reservoir recess 41 provided in the flange 40b is formed with respect to the edge of the element body 40a. They are formed in parallel.

  A part of the substantially rectangular outer peripheral edge of the air cleaner element 13 is missing, but a liquid reservoir recess 41 is formed in a flange portion having a wide area while avoiding a flange portion having a narrowed missing portion.

  Even in the air cleaner element 40 having such a shape, if the liquid reservoir recess 41 is located below the air funnel communication port, water separated from the blow-by gas will drop from the air funnel communication port and It is possible to enter and accumulate the liquid reservoir recess 41 located.

  Since the element body 40a is formed in a rectangular shape without a defective portion, the area can be increased and the air purification efficiency can be improved.

It is a perspective view of the part of the intake system of an internal combustion engine. It is a disassembled side view of an air cleaner apparatus. It is a bottom view of an upper air cleaner case. It is a top view of a lower air cleaner case. It is a top view of an air cleaner element. It is a top view of an air funnel. It is the same side view. It is the same front view. It is a bottom view of an upper air cleaner case to which an air funnel is attached. It is principal part sectional drawing of an air cleaner apparatus. It is principal part sectional drawing of the air cleaner apparatus which concerns on another embodiment. It is a top view of the air cleaner element which concerns on another embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

2 ... intake manifold, 3 ... throttle body, 4 ... intake connection pipe, 5 ... communication pipe, 6 ... air intake, 7 ... resonator,
10 ... Air cleaner device, 11 ... Upper air cleaner case, 12 ... Lower air cleaner case, 13 ... Air cleaner element, 14 ... Puddle reservoir, 15 ... Air funnel, 16 ... Communication port, 17 ... Seal member, 18 ... Bolt, 20 ... Fresh air introduction pipe,
30 ... Air funnel, 31 ... Communication port,
40… Air cleaner element, 41… Liquid reservoir recess.

Claims (5)

An internal combustion engine in which a flat air cleaner element is supported by an air cleaner case on the outer periphery of the flange on the periphery of the element body, and is stretched in the air cleaner case in a generally horizontal posture to partition the air cleaner case up and down In the air cleaner device of
An air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine, wherein a liquid reservoir recess is formed in a flange of the air cleaner element.   2. An air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein when the air cleaner element is inclined, the liquid reservoir recess is formed below the seal support portion of the flange.   The air cleaner apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the liquid pool recess is formed along the seal support portion.   2. The air cleaner device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the liquid reservoir recess is formed in a portion other than a minimum width portion between the element main body and the seal support portion of the flange. 5. The air cleaner apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4, wherein the liquid reservoir recess is formed in a portion having a maximum width between the element main body and the seal support portion of the flange.

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