JP4465313B2 - Water jacket spacer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water jacket spacer that is inserted into a water jacket formed in a cylinder block of a water-cooled engine and adjusts the cooling water flow capacity of the water jacket.

  There are an open deck type and a closed deck type cooling structure by a water jacket of a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine, particularly a water-cooled engine. In the open deck type cooling structure, a loop-shaped water jacket with an open top is formed around the cylinder bore in the cylinder block, such as an oval planar shape or a substantially oval shape with a constriction, and the cylinder head is fastened. Then, the cooling water is circulated and circulated in the water jacket whose upper end is closed to cool the engine block.

  Generally, a cylinder block is manufactured by casting aluminum alloy or the like. Casting is performed by loading a casting material into a mold composed of a plurality of divided molds, but due to the split structure at the time of casting, the part corresponding to the water jacket is a male mold, and the mold strength of this male mold part is increased. To ensure this, depending on the size of the engine (displacement), it will be larger than the width required for the water jacket, and as a result, the cooling water capacity of the water jacket will be larger than the appropriate amount of cooling water for the engine. There is. In addition, the cylinder bore wall temperature tends to be higher in the upper part near the combustion chamber and relatively lower in the lower part near the crank chamber. However, for efficient and smooth operation of the engine, the bore wall temperature increases from the upper part to the lower part. It is preferable that it is substantially uniform. For this purpose, it is desired to adjust the flow rate / flow velocity of the cooling water in the height direction of the bore. Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling structure for a cylinder block in which a spacer formed in accordance with the shape of the water jacket is inserted into the water jacket so as to optimize the capacity of the cooling water flowing in the water jacket. Has been.

  Furthermore, when manufacturing multiple types of engines with different displacements, if one type of mold is shared by these multiple engines, the cost required for expensive molds can be reduced, and the cost of the engine can be reduced. It will also contribute to. In Patent Document 2, in order to share the same mold, a water jacket of a cylinder block is formed so as to be suitable for an engine having the largest displacement, and the water jacket is appropriately inserted into the water jacket according to the displacement of the engine. A sleeve (corresponding to the spacer) is disclosed.

In Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, when the spacer vibrates in the water jacket, the cylinder bore wall temperature varies, and the fuel efficiency becomes unstable. To provide a spacer that can be stably held in the water jacket, an integral or separate fixing member for fixing the spacer in the water jacket is provided (the former), or the spacer swells by absorbing cooling water. It is also disclosed to form an inward projection that presses against the inner wall surface of the water jacket by the swelling thereof (the latter).
JP 2002-266695 A No. 1-334677

  However, in the water jacket spacer disclosed in Patent Document 1, except for the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, after inserting into the water jacket, some load is applied to the spacer and the fixing member is engaged in the water jacket. The spacer is fixed in the water jacket from the top or bottom or the lateral direction with a fixing member made of bolts or fixed, but it cannot be denied that the spacer insertion / fixing operation is still bothersome. It was. 4 and 5, the fixing member made of water-swelling rubber is attached to the spacer, the fixing member is swollen by the cooling water after being inserted into the water jacket, and the spacer is placed in the water jacket. Although it is fixed tightly, the fixing member is only for fixing. Rather, the flow of cooling water changes due to the three-dimensionally expanding water swelling rubber, making it difficult to adjust the cooling water flow rate appropriately. There was a problem to say.

  On the other hand, the spacer disclosed in Patent Document 2 is entirely composed of a water-swelling resin material, and the insertion / fixing property to the water jacket is improved. Therefore, it is difficult to set an appropriate circulation capacity of the cooling water in the water jacket, and it is difficult to accurately adjust the capacity of the cooling water according to the desired engine displacement.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has good insertability into the water jacket, ensures close contact between the water jacket spacer and the water jacket after insertion, and the desired coolant flow rate and capacity. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel water jacket spacer that can be adjusted accurately.

A water jacket spacer according to a first aspect of the present invention is a water jacket spacer that is fitted into a water jacket of a cylinder block and adjusts a circulation capacity of cooling water in the water jacket. A spacer base molded so as to conform to the shape includes an adjustment portion including a core material and a swelling material supported on the core material and swollen by cooling water, and the core material has a plate shape having a large number of through holes. The swelling material is integrally supported on the plate-like body so that the swelling material communicates with the front and back through the through holes, and the swelling material is made of a water-swellable elastomer in which a water-absorbing polymer material is blended with an elastomer, In addition, the core material is supported so that the direction perpendicular to the orientation direction of the water-absorbing polymer material is aligned with the thickness direction of the spacer substrate, and the swelling material is cooled. Expansion due is, by carrying restraining action of the core material, the surface area direction of the spacer body is restricted, generally to a thickness direction, characterized in that it has to be tolerated.

In the water jacket spacer according to the invention of claim 2, the core material in the adjustment portion is made of a fiber base material in which a number of short fibers are oriented in the surface area direction instead of a plate-like body having a number of through holes. The water jacket spacer according to the invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the swelling material is supported and integrated so that the swelling material is impregnated between the fibers of the fiber base material. Instead of a plate-like body having a large number of through holes, it is made of a net body, and the swelling material is supported and integrated with the net body so as to communicate with the front and back through the mesh of the net body. And

Further, as in the invention of claim 5 , the adjustment portion can be attached and fixed to a predetermined position of the spacer base via an attachment means. And as said swelling material, the water-swellable elastomer which mix | blended the water-absorbing polymer material with the elastomer is employ | adopted. More specifically, a synthetic rubber such as ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), or a rubbery elastic resin such as polyisobutylene, polyethylene, or polypropylene, and a polyacrylate or isobutyl / maleic acid copolymer. A blended product of a crosslinked product or a polyethylene oxide water-absorbing polymer material is employed. According to the knowledge of the present inventors, a polyethylene oxide-based water-absorbing polymer material is compounded and kneaded into the above synthetic rubber or rubber-like elastic resin (elastomer) using a roll kneader and molded into a sheet shape. When it does, it has the characteristic to orient in the rotation direction of the roll. Therefore, as in the invention of claim 4, the core material is supported so that the thickness direction of the sheet-like molded body (the direction orthogonal to the orientation direction of the polyethylene oxide water-absorbing polymer material) is aligned with the thickness direction of the spacer substrate. If it is made integral, the expansion characteristic of the swelling material described later can be expressed more effectively, and it is desirably employed.

According to the water jacket spacer according to the first to third aspects of the present invention, since the adjusting portion has not yet swollen when inserted into the water jacket, if the total thickness with the spacer base is made smaller than the width between the inner walls of the water jacket. The insertion is made smoothly without receiving resistance at the inner wall of the water jacket. After the insertion, the swelling material is swollen by the cooling water, so that the inner wall of the water jacket is in close contact and stably fixed. Then, due to the restraining action of the core material, the expansion of the swelling material is restricted in the surface area direction of the spacer base, and the space between the water jacket and the water jacket spacer is filled. By appropriately setting the size of the direction, the formation position, the number of formations, etc. in advance based on experimental data, etc., it is extremely possible to optimize the flow capacity of the cooling water so that the bore wall temperature becomes a substantially uniform temperature in the vertical direction. Can reasonably be done. In addition, since expansion of the swelling material by cooling water is generally allowed in the thickness direction, the contact and fixation between the inner walls of the water jacket are more reliably performed by the expanded portion in the thickness direction. . In addition, since the swelling material is made of a water-swellable elastomer, the vibration of the engine is absorbed by the elasticity of the swelling material in the installed state in the water jacket, and adhesion and fixing between the inner walls of the water jacket due to swelling Is made more stable.

Further, if the adjusting portion is configured as in the inventions of claims 1 to 3 , the use of the existing material and a known processing technique provide the above-described expansion allowance in the thickness direction and the expansion restriction characteristic in the surface area direction. The adjustment portion can be easily formed, and the water jacket spacer of the present invention can be supplied easily and inexpensively by selectively adopting them.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a water jacket spacer of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an engine block to which the water jacket spacer is mounted, and FIGS. 3A and 3B are views of the water jacket spacer of the present invention. It is an AA line longitudinal section of Drawing 1 as one embodiment, (a) is the state immediately after inserting the spacer in the water jacket of an engine block, and (b) is the state where circulating cooling water was passed. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are the same as FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), and FIGS. 5 (a), 5 (b) and 5 (c) are other variations of the water jacket spacer. It is the same figure which shows an example.

  6A is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1 as another embodiment of the water jacket spacer of the present invention, and FIGS. 6B, 6C, and 6D are similar views of the modified example. 7 (a) is a partially cutaway exploded perspective view of still another modification, and FIG. 7 (b) is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. FIG. 8 (a) is a partially cutaway plan view of the C-arrow arrow portion of FIG. 1 as another embodiment of the water jacket spacer of the present invention, FIG. 8 (b) is a similar view of the modification, and FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line D-D of FIG. 1 as another embodiment of the water jacket spacer, FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line E-E of FIG. 1 as another embodiment of the water jacket spacer of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line FF of FIG. 1 as another embodiment of the water jacket spacer of the invention, FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view showing one component part of a water jacket spacer provided with an auxiliary adjustment portion applicable to the present invention, FIG. 13 is a partially cutaway longitudinal sectional view showing another example.

  FIG. 1 shows various types of adjustment units that can be used in the present invention for convenience in a single water jacket spacer. In practice, the scale of the engine, the desired cooling water capacity, and the like are shown. Accordingly, one or more of these adjusting portions are combined to form one water jacket spacer. The illustrated water jacket spacer S is inserted into the open deck type water jacket 3 dug in the engine block 2 of the three-cylinder engine as shown in FIG. The spacer substrate 1 is formed of a molded body such as a synthetic resin.

  The water jacket 3 is formed in series so as to surround the three cylinder bores 4 arranged side by side, and the spacer base 1 is molded into a shape along the water jacket 3. The water jacket 3 includes a cooling water inlet 3a connected to a water pump (not shown) and an outlet 3b at one end thereof, and cooling water (cooling mixed with antifreeze liquid) supplied from the inlet 3a. (Including water) circulates in the water jacket 3 and is discharged from the discharge port 3b while cooling the bore wall 4a. The water jacket spacer S adjusts the circulation capacity of the cooling water in the water jacket 3 and functions in combination with the functions of the adjusting units 5 to 10 described later so that the temperature of the bore wall 4a is substantially equal in the vertical direction. To do. FIG. 1 shows an example in which six types of adjusting portions 5 to 10 are formed on the spacer base 1, and these will be described below.

  1 and 3 is formed separately from the spacer base 1, and a plate-like (sheet-like) non-swellable material 51 as a core material and a swelling material 50 are integrally fixed. Thus, the swelling material 50 is adhered to the inner surface of the spacer base 1 with an adhesive 5a so as to face the bore wall 4a side. The spacer substrate 1 can be attached by heat welding as well as by the adhesive 5a. The swelling material 50 is formed, for example, by blending the water-absorbing polymer material with EPDM, and the non-swelling material 51 is the same rubber component (including the same vulcanizing agent) as the water-absorbing polymer material. It is made of EPDM that does not contain, and both are fixed together by polymerization (two-color molding). If the rubber components are the same, polymerization integration can be easily achieved by such two-color molding, but it is not excluded that the non-swellable material 51 and the swelling material 50 are fixed and integrated with an adhesive. Absent. The total thickness of the spacer base 1 and the adjusting portion 5 is smaller than the width between the inner walls of the water jacket 3.

  FIG. 3A shows a state immediately after the spacer S is fitted in the water jacket 3, that is, a state where the cooling water is not circulated in the water jacket 3. Therefore, the swelling material 50 is still swollen. The insertion is smoothly performed in the loose insertion state without receiving resistance at the inner wall of the water jacket 3 or the like. Thus, when cooling water is circulated through the water jacket 3, the swelling material 50 sucks water and swells, and expands in the thickness direction of the spacer base 1 as indicated by white arrows in FIG. The inflated portion elastically contacts the inner wall surface of the water jacket 3 on the bore wall 4a side, and the water jacket spacer S is closely attached and fixed between the inner walls of the water jacket 3 by this reaction. Therefore, the water jacket spacer S itself does not move up and down in the water jacket 3 due to engine vibration or the like. Further, when the adjusting portion 5 is made of a rubber material (elastomer) such as EPDM, the vibration of the engine is absorbed by the elasticity, and the above-described adhesion / fixation is more stable.

  Since the swelling material 50 is integrally fixed to the non-swellable material 51, the surface area of the spacer base 1 is supported by the supporting restraining action as the core material of the non-swellable material 51 that does not swell even when cooling water is circulated. There is no expansion in the direction. Accordingly, since the size of the adjustment unit 5 in the surface area direction does not change, the cooling water is adjusted so that the temperature of the bore wall 4a is optimized according to the scale of the engine and is substantially equal in the vertical direction. The appropriate capacity set according to the size, number, formation position, etc. of the part 5 is distributed in the water jacket 3, thereby the desired cooling function intended by the designer is expressed accurately and continuously, and the fuel consumption of the automobile Greatly contributes to improvement.

  4 (a) and 4 (b) show the above-described modified example, in which the swelling material 50 is vertically divided into two. In this way, by dividing the swelling material 50 into a plurality of parts or changing the cross-sectional area, it is possible to make the flow capacity of the cooling water substantially variable. The appropriate temperature of the bore wall 4a is set with high accuracy. Other configurations in this example are the same as those in FIGS. 3A and 3B, and therefore, common portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C show the above-described modified examples, and FIG. 5A shows a steel plate (hook steel plate) 52 such as stainless steel as a plate-like body having a large number of through holes 52a. Thus, a swelling material 50 made of a water-swellable elastomer similar to the above is integrally supported on the steel plate 52 so as to communicate with the front and back through the through holes 52a, and the adjusting portion 5 is formed by the steel plate 52 and the swelling material 50. It is configured. The adjustment unit 5 is integrally attached to the inner surface of the spacer base 1 with an adhesive 5a. The water jacket spacer S of this example is also fitted in the water jacket 3 of the cylinder block 2 shown in FIG. 2, and when the cooling water is circulated in the water jacket 3, the swelling material 50 of the adjustment unit 5 absorbs water. Swells.

  Since the swelling material 50 is integrally supported by the steel plate 52 so that the swelling material 50 communicates with the front and back through the through holes 52a at the time of the swelling, the anchoring and restraining action of this communicating portion causes the surface area direction of the steel plate 52, That is, the expansion of the spacer substrate 1 in the surface area direction is restricted together with the adhesive force by the adhesive 5a. In particular, in the case of a hook steel plate as shown in the figure, since the peripheral portions of the respective through holes 52a are formed so as to be cut in the opposite directions, this regulating action is more effectively expressed. On the other hand, since the expansion is allowed in the thickness direction of the steel plate 52, that is, the thickness direction of the spacer base 1, the expanded portion is elastically contacted with the inner wall surface of the water jacket 3 on the bore wall 4a side, and the water jacket is caused by the reaction. The spacer S is closely attached and fixed between the inner walls of the water jacket 3.

  In the example of FIG. 5B, the core material is made of the net body 53, and the swelling material 50 made of a water-swellable elastomer similar to the above is connected to the front and back surfaces of the net body 53 through the mesh 53a. The adjustment unit 5 is configured by the net 53 and the swelling material 50. The adjustment unit 5 is integrally attached to the inner surface of the spacer base 1 with an adhesive 5a. The net 53 is made of a metal net sheet obtained by knitting or weaving (10 to 100 mesh) a metal wire 53b having a wire diameter of 0.1 to 1 mm. As the metal wire 53b, stainless steel (SUS301, SUS304, SUS316, etc.), iron wire, zinc iron wire, aluminum wire, copper wire, phosphor bronze wire, nickel wire, monel metal wire or the like is adopted. Further, as a form of the wire netting sheet 53, a plain weave, twill weave, tatami mat, flat tatami mat, plain weave, silk weave, etc., or a knot net, a knotless net, a main net, a fork net using these metal wires 53b. Knitted fabrics such as raschel nets, cocoon nets and woven nets are employed.

  The water jacket spacer S of this example is also fitted in the water jacket 3 of the cylinder block 2 shown in FIG. 2, and when the cooling water is circulated in the water jacket 3, the swelling material 50 of the adjustment unit 5 absorbs water. Swells. The expansion due to the swelling is caused by the adhesive anchoring action 5a in the surface area direction of the mesh body 53, that is, in the surface area direction of the spacer base 1, due to the anchoring and restraining action similar to the above of the communicating portions of the front and back through the mesh 53a. Adhesive strength due to is also regulated. On the other hand, since the expansion is allowed in the thickness direction of the spacer base 1, the expanded portion is elastically contacted with the inner wall surface of the water jacket 3 on the bore wall 4a side, and the water jacket spacer S is caused to react with the inner wall of the water jacket 3 by the reaction. It is closely attached and fixed in between.

  5 (a) and 5 (b), the adjusting unit 5 is obtained by vulcanizing an unvulcanized rubber material and integrally molding the swelling material 50 and the steel plate 52 or the net 53. At this time, if an adhesive is applied to the steel plate 52 or the net 53 in advance, the core materials 52 and 53 and the swelling material 50 are firmly integrated, and the expansion regulating action in the surface area direction is further improved. Become prominent.

  In the example of FIG. 5C, the core material is composed of a fiber base material 54 in which a large number of short fibers 54a, 54b,. 50 is integrated so as to be impregnated between the short fibers 54 a of the fiber base 54. The fiber base 54 and the swelling material 50 constitute the adjusting portion 5. The adjustment unit 5 is integrally attached to the inner surface of the spacer base 1 with an adhesive 5a as described above. The fiber base 54 is composed of short fibers 54a, 54b, which are oriented so as to be orthogonal to each other. That is, when one kind of short fiber is kneaded and mixed with the swelling material 50 by roll mixing, the short fiber is oriented in the rotational direction of the roll to form a sheet, and this sheet is cut into two and the orientation direction of the short fiber is cut. Are bonded so as to be orthogonal to each other to obtain the adjusting section 5 including the short fibers 54a, 54b,.

  In the adjusting section 5, the short fibers 54a, 54b are orthogonal to each other, and the swelling material 50 that is integrally supported so as to be impregnated between the short fibers 54a, 54b,. In the orientation direction of each short fiber 54a, 54b, the expansion is restricted by the restraining action. Therefore, the expansion of the swelling material 50 is restricted in the surface area direction of the spacer base 1 by the combined two-dimensional restraining action of the two short fibers 54a. However, in the thickness direction of the spacer base 1, such a restraining action does not work, and expansion due to swelling of water is allowed. Like the above, this expansion portion elastically contacts the inner wall surface on the bore wall 4a side of the water jacket 3 and its reaction. The water jacket spacer S is closely attached and fixed between the inner walls of the water jacket 3.

  Other configurations of these modified examples are the same as the example shown in FIG. 3, and therefore, the point that the intended cooling function intended by the designer is expressed accurately and continuously is the same as described above. The same reference numerals are given to the portions, and the description thereof is omitted here.

  1 and 6A is prepared separately from the spacer base 1 and is fixed to a predetermined position of the spacer base 1 via a mounting means 11. 6 (b) (c) (d) show various modifications thereof. As in the example of FIG. 3, the adjusting unit 6 in FIG. 6A is configured by integrally bonding a plate-like (sheet-like) non-swellable material 61 as a core material and a swelling material 60. A plurality of mounting holes 1a... Are formed at predetermined positions of the spacer base 1, and the pin-shaped projections on the spacer base 1 side mounting surface of the non-swellable material 61 are formed at positions corresponding to the mounting holes 1a. 61a ... are integrally formed, and the protrusions 61a ... and the attachment holes 1a ... constitute the attachment means 11. That is, the adjustment portion 6 is formed by elastically deforming the cap portion of the projection 61a and press-fitting the projection 61a into the mounting hole 1a, and by engaging and holding the projection 61a in the mounting hole 1a by restoring elasticity of the cap portion. Is fixedly attached to a predetermined position of the spacer base 1.

  The example shown in FIG. 6 (b) shows a state in which the tip cap portion of the protrusion 61a is further caulked. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 6C, the adjustment hole 6 is attached and fixed at a predetermined position of the spacer base 1 by using the rivet pins 11a made of a plurality of hard synthetic resins or metals to form the same attachment holes 1a. It is something to be done. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 6 (d), the attachment means 11 is constituted by upper and lower spring clip members 11b, 11b, and the upper and lower sides of the adjusting portion 6 are made to be the spacer base 1 by the clip members 11b, 11b. Thus, the adjusting portion 6 is attached and fixed at a predetermined position of the spacer base 1.

  Since the functions of the non-swellable material 61 and the swelling material 60 as the core material in these examples are the same as those described above, the same reference numerals are given to common portions, and the description thereof is omitted. Moreover, the attachment means 11 of the example of FIG.6 (c) and (d) is applicable also to the attachment fixation of the adjustment part 5 in the example of FIG.5 (a) (b) (c), In this case Instead of the adhesive 5a, it is possible to use the adhesive 5a in combination.

7 (a) and 7 (b) show still another modified example in which the adjusting portion 6 prepared separately from the spacer base 1 is attached and fixed to a predetermined position of the spacer base 1 via the attachment means 11. It is. That is, a swelling material 60 similar to the example of FIG. 6A formed in a narrow plate shape or a rod shape is fixedly integrated with a plate-like or sheet-like non-swellable material 61 as a core material, and adjusted. Part 6 is configured. A vertical groove 1 b having a lower end opening is formed at a predetermined position of the spacer base 1. Further, on the spacer base 1 side mounting surface of the non-swellable material 61, a vertically long projecting base portion 62a that is substantially the same as the groove width of the vertical groove 1b and an engagement piece 62b that is wider than the base portion 62a. The engaging body 62 having a T-shaped cross section is formed integrally with the molding body, and the engaging body 62 and the longitudinal groove 1b constitute the attachment means 11.

The adjusting portion 6 of this example inserts the base portion 62a of the engaging body 62 into the vertical groove 1b from the lower end opening, slides the base portion 62a along the vertical groove 1b , and reaches the upper end of the vertical groove 1b. The united body 62 is engaged with and held on the side portion of the longitudinal groove 1b by the engagement piece 62b. In this state, due to the engagement relationship between the engaging body 62 and the longitudinal groove 1b, the adjusting portion 6 is set so that the spacer base body 1 cannot move in the circumferential direction and the thickness direction. Needless to say, the swelling material 60 and the non-swelling material 61 may be the same size. Since other configurations, operations, and effects are the same as described above, common portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  1 and FIG. 8 (a) is configured such that a swelling material 70 is supported and integrated with a porous steel plate 71 as a core material so as to communicate with the front and back through a through hole 71a. 1 is attached and fixed so that it can be inserted and removed from above, as indicated by an arrow X in FIG. A longitudinal groove 1e is formed in the inner and outer surfaces of the spacer base 1 in the vicinity of the side portion of the cutout portion 1d, while the side portions of the perforated steel sheet 71 have a plurality of arcuate engagements that are curved so as to face each other. The pawl 71b extends in the vertical direction with an interval, and the attachment claw 71b and the groove 1e constitute the attachment means 11.

  When the adjustment portion 7 of this example is inserted into the cutout portion 1d from above as indicated by an arrow X in FIG. 1, the locking claw 71b is elastically deformed outward, and the distal end portion thereof is recessed in the groove 1e by its restoring elasticity. By being elastically locked, the spacer base 1 is fixedly held at a predetermined position. And when it is fitted in the water jacket 3 and the cooling water is circulated, the expansion due to the swelling of the swelling material 70 is directed to both sides in the thickness direction of the spacer base 1 and is engaged with both inner walls of the water jacket 3. The water jacket spacer S is stably held in the water jacket 3.

  FIG. 8B shows the above-described modification, in which the core is made of a hook steel plate 72 having a large number of through holes 72a (similar to the example of FIG. 5A), and the front and back sides are formed through the through holes 72a. The adjusting portion 7 is configured such that the swelling material 70 is supported and integrated with the hook steel plate 72 so as to communicate with each other. The adjustment portion 7 is fixedly attached to a rectangular cutout portion 1d that is cut out from the upper side portion of the spacer base 1 so as to be detachable from above. A protrusion 7a is formed on both sides of the adjusting portion 7, and a groove 1f is formed on the inner surface of both notches of the notch 1d. The attachment means 11 is formed by the groove 1f and the protrusion 7a. Is configured.

The adjustment portion 7 of this example is also fixedly attached to the notch 1d and fitted into the water jacket 3 in the same manner as described above by fitting the concave groove 1f and the protrusion 7a of the attachment means 11, and the cooling water flows therethrough. When this is done, the swelling due to swelling of the swelling material 70 is directed to both sides in the thickness direction of the spacer base 1 and is engaged with both inner walls of the water jacket 3, so that the water jacket spacer S is stably held in the water jacket 3. . Since the cooling water flow capacity adjustment function of the adjustment unit 7 in FIGS. 8A and 8B is also the same as described above, the description thereof is omitted here.

  The adjustment part 8 shown in FIGS. 1 and 9 is such that a part of the spacer base 1 also serves as the core material of the adjustment part. That is, a plurality of through holes 1g are formed in a predetermined position (adjustment part formation position) of the spacer base 1 formed in advance, and this spacer base 1 is put in a mold in which an adjustment part cavity is formed, It can be obtained by injecting an unvulcanized rubber material for the swelling material 80 (EPDM containing the water-absorbing polymer material or the like) into the cavity and vulcanization molding. During the vulcanization molding, the swelling material 80 is supported and integrated with the spacer base 1 by forming the through holes 1g. Therefore, when the cooling water is circulated by being fitted in the water jacket 3, the through holes 1g... Function as a restricting means, and the swelling material 80 acts as a restraining action of a part of the spacer base body 1 which also serves as a core material. Although the expansion due to the swelling is restricted in the surface area direction of the spacer base 1, it is allowed in the thickness direction, and the desired cooling water flow capacity adjusting function is effectively expressed as described above.

  1 and 10 shows another example in which a part of the spacer base 1 also serves as a core material of the adjustment unit. That is, a plurality of through holes 1g are formed in a predetermined position (adjustment portion forming position) of the spacer base 1 formed in advance so as to be aligned in the vertical direction, and two dams 1h, 1h are formed on the inner surfaces of both sides. The spacer substrate 1 is obtained by placing the spacer base body 1 in a mold in which the adjustment portion cavity is formed, injecting an unvulcanized rubber material (same as above) for the swelling material 90 into the cavity, and performing vulcanization molding. . Therefore, when the cooling water is circulated after being fitted into the water jacket 3, the through holes 1g and the dams 1h and 1h function as a restricting means, and support and restraint action of a part of the spacer base body 1 also serving as a core material. Thus, expansion due to swelling of the swelling material 90 is restricted in the surface area direction of the spacer base 1, but is allowed in the thickness direction, and the intended cooling water flow capacity adjustment function is effective as described above. Expressed.

1 and 11 includes a rod-shaped non-swellable material 101 as a core material and a swelling material 100 that are integrally fixed in a trapezoidal cross section. Further, the spacer base 1 is formed with two dams 1i and 1i having a groove shape and having a groove shape, and the adjusting portion 10 is inserted and fixed between the dams 1i and 1i from the vertical direction. . Accordingly, the dovetail-shaped dams 1i and 1i also constitute the attachment means 11 similar to the above. In addition, in order to make the said fixed holding | maintenance more firm, it is also possible to stick or heat-weld the adjustment part 10 with an adhesive agent with respect to the groove | channel inner surface by the dams 1i and 1i. As the swelling material 100 and the non-swellable material 101, the same elastomer as described above is desirably employed. In the case of this example, in addition to the non-swellable material 101 as the core material , the functions of the dams 1i and 1i as the restricting means are also added. , The swelling due to swelling of the swelling material 100 is restricted in the surface area direction of the spacer substrate 1 but allowed in the thickness direction.

  FIGS. 12 and 13 show a water jacket provided with an auxiliary adjustment unit that is used in combination with the various adjustment units of the present invention to stably hold the water jacket spacer in the water jacket and to supplementarily adjust the circulating cooling water capacity. The example of a spacer is shown. The auxiliary adjustment unit 12 of FIG. 12 is integrally formed with a mesh body 121 made of a wire mesh as a core material so that the same water-swellable swelling material 120 communicates with the front and back through the mesh. 1 is fixed to the inner surface of 1 so as to protrude from the lower end thereof. And the part which protrudes below consists only of the swelling material 120, and swelling material 120 also includes this protrusion part by the swelling accompanying water absorption of cooling water, as shown by the two-dot chain line of FIG. It expands not only in the thickness direction but also to the bottom of the water jacket 3. Accordingly, the auxiliary adjustment unit 12 performs an auxiliary stable positioning and holding function of the spacer S at the bottom of the water jacket 3 and an auxiliary adjustment function of the cooling water circulation capacity.

  In the auxiliary adjustment unit 13 of FIG. 13, a water-swellable plate-like (sheet-like) swelling material 130 similar to the above is fixedly integrated with a non-swellable material 131 similar to the above, which is a core material formed in an inverted U shape. It becomes. As shown in FIG. 13, the non-swellable material 131 is fitted on the upper end of the spacer base 1, and the swelling material 130 is on the upper surface of the non-swellable material 131, on both sides thereof, that is, in the thickness direction of the spacer base 1. The protrusions are integrally fixed so as to protrude, and the protrusions expand as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Accordingly, the auxiliary adjustment unit 13 performs an auxiliary stable positioning and holding function of the water jacket spacer S at the upper part of the water jacket 3 and an auxiliary adjustment function of the cooling water circulation capacity.

  12 and 13 is used in combination with each of the adjustment units 5 to 10, so that the water jacket spacer S can be inserted into the water jacket 3 and the water jacket spacer S can be maintained. This makes it possible to more stably maintain the water jacket 3 in the water jacket 3 and to set the desired cooling water circulation capacity with higher accuracy, which greatly contributes to improving the fuel consumption of the automobile engine.

  The adjusting portions 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 of the above embodiment are formed on the inner surface of the spacer base 1, and the swelling materials 50, 60, 80, 90 and 100 expand toward the bore wall 4a side by swelling. Although the above example has been described, it can be formed on the outer surface of the spacer base 1 so as to expand toward the anti-bore wall 4a side. Accordingly, if these are appropriately arranged in the circumferential direction of the spacer base 1, various cooling water circulation capacities can be set, and the degree of freedom in design is further expanded. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is applicable not only to a three-cylinder engine but also to a water jacket spacer for other engines. In addition, the form of the adjusting unit is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and it goes without saying that other forms can be adopted as long as the present invention is not departed from.

It is a perspective view which shows the example of the water jacket spacer of this invention. It is a cross-sectional view of the engine block to which the water jacket spacer is mounted. (A) and (b) are the AA line longitudinal cross-sectional views of FIG. 1 as one Embodiment of the water jacket spacer of this invention, Comprising: (a) is just after inserting the spacer in the water jacket of an engine block. The state (b) shows the state in which cooling water is circulated. (A) (b) is a figure similar to FIG. 3 (a) (b) which shows the modification of the water jacket spacer. (A) (b) (c) is the same figure which shows another modification of the water jacket spacer. (A) is the BB longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 as another embodiment of the water jacket spacer of this invention, (b) (c) (d) is the same figure of the modification. (A) is the partial notch disassembled perspective view of another modification, (b) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view. (A) is the C-arrow arrow part partial notch top view of FIG. 1 as another embodiment of the water jacket spacer of this invention, (b) is the same figure of the modification. It is the DD sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 1 as another embodiment of the water jacket spacer of this invention. It is the EE sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 1 as another embodiment of the water jacket spacer of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. 1 as another embodiment of the water jacket spacer of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows one structural part of the water jacket spacer provided with the auxiliary | assistant adjustment part applicable to this invention. It is a partial notch longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the other example.

Explanation of symbols

1 Spacer base 1g Through hole (regulating means)
1h Weir (regulatory means)
1i dam (regulatory means)
2 Cylinder block 3 Water jacket 5 Adjustment part 50 Swelling material 51 Non-swelling material (core material)
52 Hook steel plate (core material)
52a Through-hole 53 Net body (core material)
53a Mesh 54 Fiber base material (core material)
6 Adjustment part 60 Swelling material 61 Non-swelling material (core material)
7 Adjustment part 70 Swelling material 71 Porous steel sheet (core material)
72 Hook steel plate (core material)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8 Adjustment part 80 Swelling material 9 Adjustment part 90 Swelling material 10 Adjustment part 100 Swelling material 11 Attachment means S Water jacket spacer

Claims (5)

A water jacket spacer that is fitted into a water jacket of a cylinder block and adjusts a circulation capacity of cooling water in the water jacket,
The spacer base molded so as to conform to the shape of the water jacket includes an adjustment portion including a core material and a swelling material supported on the core material and swollen by cooling water,
The core material is composed of a plate-like body having a large number of through holes, and the swelling material is integrally supported on the plate-like body so as to communicate with the front and back through the through-holes,
The swelling material is made of a water-swellable elastomer in which a water-absorbing polymer material is blended with an elastomer, and the core is so aligned that the direction perpendicular to the orientation direction of the water-absorbing polymer material is aligned with the thickness direction of the spacer substrate. Supported on the material,
The water jacket spacer according to claim 1, wherein expansion of the swelling material by cooling water is restricted in the surface area direction of the spacer base by the restraining action of the core material and is generally allowed in the thickness direction. A water jacket spacer that is fitted into a water jacket of a cylinder block and adjusts a circulation capacity of cooling water in the water jacket,
The spacer base molded so as to conform to the shape of the water jacket includes an adjustment portion including a core material and a swelling material supported on the core material and swollen by cooling water,
The core material is composed of a fiber base material in which a number of short fibers are oriented in the surface area direction, and the swelling material is integrally supported so as to be impregnated between the fibers of the fiber base material,
The swelling material is made of a water-swellable elastomer in which a water-absorbing polymer material is blended with an elastomer, and the core is so aligned that the direction perpendicular to the orientation direction of the water-absorbing polymer material is aligned with the thickness direction of the spacer substrate. Supported on the material,
  The water jacket spacer according to claim 1, wherein expansion of the swelling material by cooling water is restricted in the surface area direction of the spacer base by the restraining action of the core material and is generally allowed in the thickness direction. A water jacket spacer that is fitted into a water jacket of a cylinder block and adjusts a circulation capacity of cooling water in the water jacket,
The spacer base molded so as to conform to the shape of the water jacket includes an adjustment portion including a core material and a swelling material supported on the core material and swollen by cooling water,
The core material is composed of a mesh body, and the swelling material is integrally supported on the core material of the mesh body so as to communicate with the front and back through the mesh of the mesh body,
The swelling material is made of a water-swellable elastomer in which a water-absorbing polymer material is blended with an elastomer, and the core is so aligned that the direction perpendicular to the orientation direction of the water-absorbing polymer material is aligned with the thickness direction of the spacer substrate. Supported on the material,
  The water jacket spacer according to claim 1, wherein expansion of the swelling material by cooling water is restricted in the surface area direction of the spacer base by the restraining action of the core material and is generally allowed in the thickness direction. In the water jacket spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The swelling material comprises a sheet-like body of a water-swellable elastomer obtained by roll-molding the water-absorbing polymer material into the elastomer, and the thickness direction of the sheet-like body is aligned with the thickness direction of the spacer substrate. A water jacket spacer characterized by that. The water jacket spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The water jacket spacer according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting portion is fixedly attached to a predetermined position of the spacer base via an attaching means.

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