JP4309305B2 - Engine oil circulation device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for circulating engine oil, and more particularly to an engine oil circulation apparatus having an auxiliary oil tank.

In an engine-driven work machine that is operated for a long time, such as an engine-driven generator, it is necessary to minimize the suspension period for exchanging engine oil.
For this reason, the proposal shown in patent document 1 is made. As shown in FIG. 5, an auxiliary tank 207 is provided in the oil reservoir 200 to increase the total amount of oil, delay the deterioration of oil characteristics, and extend the replacement time.
That is, the oil in the oil reservoir 200 is sucked by the pump 202 from the strainer 201, passes through the oil cooler 204 and the filter 205 disposed in the main supply passage 220, lubricates the oil supply unit 206, and returns to the oil reservoir 200. . During this time, the oil gets more dirty.

  A part of the oil sucked by the pump 202 branches from the main supply flow path 220 and enters the bypass flow path 221, and is sent to the auxiliary tank 207 through the flow rate adjustment valve 203. Thereby, the oil level in the oil reservoir 200 is lowered from a predetermined position.

  When the oil level decreases, the oil regulator 208 in the replenishment flow path 222 connecting the auxiliary tank 207 and the oil reservoir 200 is operated, and oil is sent from the auxiliary tank 207 to the oil reservoir 200.

In this way, the oil circulates between the oil reservoir 200 and the auxiliary tank 207 by the pump 202, so that the oil contamination is averaged and the oil is replenished from the auxiliary tank 207. It enables driving for hours.
Patent Document 2 proposes another engine oil supply device.
This is shown in FIG. 6, and an oil pan 232 is formed below the engine body 231 in order to extend the oil deterioration time and stabilize the oil surface position of the oil pan 232. A pump 234 is provided to lubricate each part of H.231.

  Since the oil pump 234 sucks the oil by the oil strainer 233 buried in the oil, the oil passes through the oil cooler 235, the oil filter 236, and the oil gallery 237, and then lubricates and cleans each part of the engine main body 231. Return to 232.

  A safety valve 239 or a regulator valve 238 is provided at various places on the lubrication device 230 of the engine body 231. A branch pipe for cleaning the oil in the oil pan is formed in the discharge side pipe of the oil pump 234, and a small amount of oil enters the filter 241 through the stop valve 240 during operation of the engine body 231. Filter carbon particles and insoluble materials.

Further, the oil is sent to the oil tank 246 through the stop valve 242, the check valve 243, and the valve 244. The sent oil is sent to the overflow pipe 247 and returned to the oil pan 232 via the valve 248. Since the amount of oil returned is equal to the amount of oil branched from the oil pan 232 for the cleaning process, there is no oil level change inside the oil pan 232.
On the other hand, the amount of oil in the oil pan 232 decreases as the engine is operated, although the amount is small. For this reason, the automatic oil supply tank 250 is arranged above the oil pan 232, and new oil is supplied to the oil pan 232 through the valve 251 and the float valve 252 by using the head. The mounting position of the float valve is set to be the same as the oil level of the oil stored in the oil pan 232. With the float valve 252, the oil stored in the oil pan 232 always maintains a predetermined oil level position.
JP-A-5-106785 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-13937

  The thing shown by patent document 1 increases the total amount of the circulating oil, and delays deterioration, Therefore Even if it can delay oil replacement time, it cannot cope with a long-term driving | operation. In addition, the oil in the auxiliary tank 207 may flow more than necessary into the oil pan 200 due to a problem with the oil regulator 208, which may hinder the operation of the engine.

  Moreover, what was shown by patent document 2 must provide the two auxiliary tanks which store oil, ie, the oil tank 246, and the automatic oil supply tank 250. FIG. These two tanks must be arranged above the oil pan 232, and the oil amount of a large engine 231 may exceed several tens of liters and sometimes several hundred liters in consideration of long-time operation. , Difficult to install in high places. Moreover, if there is a problem with the float valve 252 used to replenish the shortage of oil, more oil than necessary may be supplied.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described points, and provides an engine oil circulation device capable of stably supplying oil to an engine for a long period of time while having a configuration that is relatively easy to install and adjust. For the purpose.

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention,
An auxiliary tank filled with oil to be supplied to the engine, and a conduit having a pump for supplying oil from the auxiliary tank to the oil pan; In an engine oil circulation device having a pipe with a pump for forcibly returning oil to the auxiliary tank, one end is immersed in the oil in the oil pan and the other end is vertically upward in the auxiliary tank. An engine oil circulation device comprising a tubular communication member that opens to a position substantially equal to a target oil level height position of the oil pan and returns oil from the oil pan to the auxiliary tank;
Is to provide.

  In the present invention, as described above, engine oil is supplied from the auxiliary tank to the oil pan by a pump, and forcedly circulated to the auxiliary tank by another pump. One end is immersed in the oil in the oil pan and the other end is auxiliary. A tubular communicating member opened at a position equivalent to the target oil level of the oil pan in the tank is provided, so that the oil level is stable without the mechanical or electrical elements that cause unstable operation. Can be kept at a predetermined height.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in the engine 50, oil is stored in an oil pan 50a, and an upper portion thereof communicates with the oil oil surface to form a space 50b containing a member requiring lubrication. The oil pan 50a is provided with a strainer 50c, which is sucked by the pump 51 to clean the oil and lubricate the engine. Further, the space 50b communicated with the oil oil surface communicates with the atmosphere directly or via an air cleaner (not shown) through a breather device (not shown).

  On the other hand, two circulation paths for circulating oil between the auxiliary tank 60 are formed in the oil pan 50a. Part 1 of the circulation path is a circulation path in which the tubular communication member 61 is an outward path and oil supply pipes 108 and 109 with a pump 64 are return paths.

  Here, the right end of the tubular communication member 61 is connected to the oil pan 50a, and the other end is opened at a height position substantially equal to the oil pan oil level target height H0 in the auxiliary tank 60. A fitting member 62 whose height position can be adjusted is provided at the opening end of the tubular communication member 61, and the position of the opening end of the tubular communication member 61 is changed by changing the position of the fitting member 62. It can be adapted to the target oil level height H0 of the oil pan.

  For this purpose, the vicinity of the opening end of the tubular connecting member 61 is formed vertically, and the fitting member 62 is formed so as to be movable in the vertical direction and adjusted in position. Further, although oil may be ejected from the open end of the tubular communication member 61, a detection means 63 for detecting the oil ejection is disposed in the oil ejection direction.

  Part 2 of the two circulation paths is constituted by circulation lines 100, 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105. The circulation line has a filter 80, a pump 81, a relief valve 82, a gate valve 83, and a cleaning device 90 that performs advanced cleaning processing including centrifugation, and is provided between the pump 81 and the gate valve 83. As a safety circuit, when oil pressure rises in the pipe line from the circulation pipe line 103 to the auxiliary tank 60, the relief valve 82 is operated so that the oil is not sent to the cleaning device 90 by the operation of the relief valve 82, but directly to the auxiliary tank 60. A path 106 is provided.

  In addition to this, the auxiliary tank 60 is provided with a maximum oil level detecting means 66, a minimum oil level detecting means 67, and a relief pipe 107 with a filter 65 to detect and protect an oil level abnormality in the auxiliary tank 60. Is configured to do.

  This oil circulation device operates so that the oil level of the oil pan of the engine 50 is maintained between the maximum oil level height H1 and the minimum oil level height H2, and is a steady target height. It is desirable to set the target height H0 close to the maximum oil level height H1.

  The target height H0 is set by adjusting the height of the fitting member 62 provided at the open end of the tubular communication member 61 in the auxiliary tank 60. That is, if the oil oil level in the engine 50 is higher than the upper end position of the fitting member 62 in the figure, the oil overflows from the opening end of the fitting member 62, so the oil level in the engine 50 exceeds the target height H0. There is nothing.

  On the other hand, even if the oil level is about to fall below the target height H0, the oil in the auxiliary tank 60 is supplied by the pump 64 and the oil level never falls below the target height H0.

  As described above, the oil level in the engine 50 is also controlled during operation of the engine oil lubrication device of the present invention for the purpose of operating the cleaning device 90 during operation of the engine 50 or when the engine is stopped. Further, the oil level of the auxiliary tank 60 is detected by the detecting means 66 and 67, and when an abnormal level is reached, it is possible to take measures such as issuing an alarm or stopping the engine. Further, when the engine 50 is in an abnormal operation state and oil is ejected from the opening end of the fitting member 62, the float 63a of the detection means 63 is pushed up, so that an operation such as an emergency stop command for the engine can be performed by the detection means 63.

  Although the oil gradually becomes dirty by the operation of the engine 50, the oil in the oil pan 50a is constantly sent to the cleaning device 90 by the pump 81 and subjected to the cleaning process, and the deterioration of the oil is small. The cleaning device 90 may perform maintenance and inspection, but it is not necessary to stop the operation of the engine 50 at that time.

  FIG. 2 shows a state in which the amount of oil is reduced as a whole by operating the engine 50 for a long time. As a result of the decrease in the oil amount, the oil amount in the auxiliary tank 60 has decreased, but the oil amount in the oil pan 50a of the engine 50 maintains the target height H0.

  This is because the discharge amount of the pump 64 that supplies oil from the auxiliary tank 60 to the engine 50 is equal to or greater than the discharge amount of the pump 81 that returns oil from the engine 50 to the auxiliary tank 60. As a result, in the oil pan 50a, the amount of oil to be injected is equal to or greater than the amount of oil to be discharged. Keep H0.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the pressure in the space communicating with the oil pan 50a that stores oil has abnormally increased due to a failure of the engine 50. In this case, the operation of the engine 50 needs to be stopped immediately.

  The oil in the oil pan 50a is pumped toward the tubular communication member 61 due to the pressure increase in the engine 50, and is jetted toward the detecting means 63 from the open end. As a result, the float 63a is pushed up, so that the detecting means 63 sends a signal for stopping the engine.

  In such a situation, when the strainer 50c is exposed as the amount of oil in the oil pan 50a decreases, a hydraulic pressure detection means in an engine hydraulic circuit (not shown) performs a detection operation to urgently stop the engine. The engine stop by the detecting means 63 is an emergency stop of the engine at the previous stage, and the engine damage can be stopped at a minor stage.

  FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which a pressure sensor type detection means 70 is used instead of the mechanical detection means 63 in the above embodiment. In this case, when the oil jets from the opening end of the fitting member 62 and presses the pressure receiving surface of the pressure sensor type detection means 70, the sensor 70 generates an output. When this output exceeds the detection level of the detection circuit 71, the output contact is closed and the actuator 72 is operated to urgently stop the engine.

Other examples

  In the said Example, although the tubular communication member 61 was shown as one tubular communication member, it is also possible to set it as the structure divided | segmented in the parallel relationship.

  Further, the detection means 63 and 70 may be replaced with other means capable of detecting another ejection pressure or ejection amount. The detection means 66 provided separately from the detection means 63 is provided with two floats having different heights in the detection means 63 in the vertical direction, the lower stage is engine abnormality detection, and the upper stage is abnormal oil level rise. The detection means 66 may be omitted by operating the switch and performing detection in the operation mode of the two switches. That is, when the two switches are off, the engine is abnormal when the lower switch is on, and when the two switches are on, the abnormal oil level in the auxiliary tank rises.

Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of one Example of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the state which the oil amount of the whole circulation device decreased in the Example of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the state in which abnormality generate | occur | produced in the engine in the Example of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure using a pressure sensor as a sensor in the auxiliary tank in the Example of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the oil supply apparatus to the conventional engine. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the oil supply apparatus provided with the conventional oil cleaning apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

50 engine, 50a, 232 oil pan, 50b space,
50c, 201 strainer, 51, 202 pump,
60,207 auxiliary tank, 60a oil, 60b internal space,
61 tubular communication member, 62 fitting member, 63 ejection detection means,
66, 67 Oil level detection means, 70 Pressure detection means, 71 Detection circuit,
72 Actuator, 81 Pump, 82 Relief valve,
83 Gate valve, 90 cleaning device,
100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 Circulation line,
107 Relief pipe, 108, 109 Oil supply pipe,
200 Oil pan, 203 Flow control valve, 204, 235 Oil cooler, 205, 241 Filter, 206 Oil supply unit, 208 Regulator, 220 Supply flow path, 221 Bypass flow path, 222 Replenishment flow path,
230 engine lubrication device, 231 engine body,
233 oil strainer, 234 oil pump, 236 oil filter, 237 oil gallery, 238 regulator valve,
239 Safety valve, 240, 242 Stop valve, 243 Check valve,
244, 248, 251 valve, 245 heater, 246 oil tank,
247 overflow pipe, 250 automatic oil tank,
252 Float valve, 270 return line, 271 supply circuit, 273 piping.

Claims (6)

An auxiliary tank filled with oil to be supplied to the engine, and a conduit having a pump for supplying oil from the auxiliary tank to the oil pan; In the engine oil circulation system, which has a pipe with a pump for forcibly returning oil to the auxiliary tank,
One end is immersed in the oil in the oil pan, and the other end is vertically upward in the auxiliary tank and opens at a position substantially equal to the target oil level height position of the oil pan. A tubular communication member for returning oil from the auxiliary tank to the auxiliary tank,
An engine oil circulation device characterized by having In the engine oil circulation device according to claim 1,
The engine oil circulation device in which the position in the height direction of the opening end disposed in the auxiliary tank of the tubular communication member is variable. The engine oil circulation device according to claim 2,
The tubular communication member is an engine oil circulation device in which a fitting member for adjusting a position in a height direction is provided at the opening end. In the engine oil circulation device according to claim 1,
An engine oil circulation device having detection means arranged to face an open end of the tubular communication member and detecting that the oil has been ejected. The engine oil circulation device according to claim 1,
An engine oil circulation device comprising a cleaning circuit having a pump and a cleaning means and arranged between the engine and the auxiliary tank for cleaning the oil. The engine oil circulation device according to claim 5,
An engine oil circulation device in which the amount of oil supplied from the auxiliary tank to the oil pan is equal to or greater than the circulation through the cleaning circuit.

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