JP7113605B2 - Oil level detector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an oil amount detection device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an oil level gauge such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has been used to detect the amount of oil in a prime mover such as an engine, or in a driving device such as an automatic transmission.

The oil level gauge disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is intended to enable safe checking of the amount of oil without increasing the number of parts and increasing costs. The oil level gauge of Patent Document 1 includes a gauge member extending in a belt shape and a handle member connected to the gauge member, and an engaging portion and a holding portion are provided in the middle of the handle member. It is With such a configuration, the oil level gauge of Patent Document 1 can be easily inserted and removed with a general-purpose tool without interfering with peripheral parts, even if the handle member is arranged in a deep and narrow work space in the engine room. You can safely check the amount of oil without getting burned or injured.

JP 2016-70755 A

Here, in the engine compartment, for example, not only the engine, radiator fan, supplementary notes, etc. are placed, but in recent years, various devices such as ISG and automatic brake related devices have been placed. . Therefore, the engine compartment is densely packed with various devices and has almost no surplus space. Therefore, in recent vehicles, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is becoming difficult to secure a space for opening the engine compartment and pulling out the oil level gauge from above. There is a problem that there is

In addition, many conventional vehicles have equipment such as a radiator fan at a position closer to the operator than the position where the oil level gauge is inserted and removed when performing the oil amount detection work. Therefore, if the oil level is detected when the oil temperature has risen to a predetermined temperature, the radiator fan may operate unexpectedly for workers who are not accustomed to the work, although there is no problem in terms of safety. There is Therefore, there is a demand that even an inexperienced worker should be able to perform the oil amount detection work with peace of mind.

Furthermore, in vehicles of the prior art, there are rubber or resin members and high-temperature devices near the place where the oil level gauge is inserted and removed when performing the oil amount detection work, and at the position on the front side for the operator. species may exist. It is not preferable from the viewpoint of protecting various members and equipment and improving safety that oil falls on these members and equipment when performing the oil amount detection work. Therefore, it is preferable to take further measures to prevent the above-described problems from occurring even if oil drips during the operation of detecting the amount of oil.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an oil amount detection device that can detect the amount of oil without opening the engine compartment.

An oil amount detection device of the present invention provided to solve the above-described problems is for detecting the amount of oil remaining in a device that is mounted on a vehicle and has an oil reservoir inside. It has an oil level gauge and a guide pipe that guides the oil level gauge, and the amount of oil can be detected by inserting and removing the oil level gauge from an opening of the guide pipe. , and the guide pipe is arranged so that the oil level gauge can be pulled out from the back side of the wheel house toward the front side.

In the oil amount detection device of the present invention, the guide pipe is arranged so that the opening of the guide pipe for guiding the oil level gauge is located inside the wheelhouse of the vehicle. Further, the guide pipe is arranged so that the oil level gauge can be pulled out from the back side of the wheel house toward the front side. Therefore, the oil amount detection device of the present invention can perform the oil amount detection work without opening the engine compartment.

The oil amount detection device of the present invention does not require a space for opening the engine compartment and then pulling out the oil level gauge when detecting the oil amount. Therefore, according to the oil amount detection device of the present invention, it is possible to use the space in the engine compartment more effectively.

Further, when the opening of the guide pipe is arranged in the wheel house as in the oil amount detection device of the present invention, the guide pipe can be arranged so that there are no devices such as a radiator fan in front of the operator. can. Therefore, according to the oil amount detection device of the present invention, even an inexperienced operator can perform the oil amount detection work without anxiety.

Furthermore, when the opening of the guide pipe is arranged in the wheel house as in the oil amount detection device of the present invention, even if the oil drips when performing the oil amount detection work, various members and Less likely to drip onto equipment. Therefore, according to the oil amount detection device of the present invention, various members and equipment are not damaged due to unexpected dripping of oil, and a safer oil amount detection device can be provided.

In the above-described oil amount detection device of the present invention, it is desirable that the end portion of the guide pipe on the opening side is horizontal or inclined above the horizontal.

According to such a configuration, the operation of pulling out the oil level gauge from the back side of the wheelhouse toward the front side can be performed reliably. In addition, according to the above-described configuration, it is possible to suppress dripping of the lubricating oil when injecting the lubricating oil into the device or when pulling out the oil level gauge.

In the above-described oil amount detection device of the present invention, the vehicle is provided with a device that is assumed to operate during the oil amount detection work, and the opening of the guide pipe is arranged outside the device in the width direction of the vehicle. It is desirable that the

In the oil amount detection device having the above-described configuration, the opening of the guide pipe is arranged outside in the width direction of the vehicle from the device, such as a radiator fan, which is expected to operate during the oil amount detection work. Therefore, according to the oil amount detection device having the above-described configuration, even an unskilled worker can perform the oil amount detection work without anxiety.

The above-described oil amount detection device of the present invention has a side member disposed on a side portion in the width direction of the vehicle. is arranged so as to be visible at a position separated from the side member.

According to such a configuration, the operator can insert and remove the oil level gauge without colliding with the side member with his hand or the like. Therefore, according to the configuration described above, it is possible to further improve the safety of the operation of detecting the amount of oil.

In the above-described oil amount detection device of the present invention, the oil level gauge is provided with a handle, has a side member disposed on a side portion in the width direction of the vehicle, and is positioned below the side member. A handle is preferably provided.

With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the operator's hand holding the handle from colliding with the side member when inserting and withdrawing the oil level gauge. Therefore, according to the configuration described above, it is possible to further improve the safety of the operation of detecting the amount of oil.

The above-described oil amount detection device of the present invention has a side member disposed on a side portion in the width direction of the vehicle, and when viewed from the side in the width direction of the vehicle, the center of the opening It is desirable that it exists at a position deviated downward from the side member.

With such a configuration, most of the opening of the guide pipe is not hidden by the side members and is visible to the operator. Therefore, according to the above-described configuration, it is possible to prevent a worker's hand from colliding with the side member when inserting and removing the oil level gauge, thereby providing an oil amount detection device that is even more excellent in terms of safety.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an oil amount detection device that can perform an oil amount detection operation without opening the engine compartment.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle equipped with an oil amount detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a front view showing an oil level gauge. 1 is a front view showing a state where an oil amount detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is viewed from the front side of a vehicle; FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state where an oil amount detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is viewed from the side of a vehicle; FIG. (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional shape of the bent portion of the guide pipe in comparison with other portions, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between (a) the bent portion of the guide pipe and the oil level gauge. is.

Hereinafter, an oil amount detection device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail by taking a vehicle 1 equipped with the same as an example. In the following description, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the outline of the vehicle 1 will be mainly described with reference to the oil amount detection device 10, and then the details of the oil amount detection device 10 will be described.

<<Overview of Vehicle 1>>
The vehicle 1 has an oil reservoir on the bottom side of the casing, such as a driving device such as a prime mover (engine) or an automatic transmission, and is used in a state in which lubricating oil is stored in the oil reservoir. is installed. Lubricating oil is supplied to power transmission parts (such as pistons, gears, and metal belts) and sliding parts (such as slide bearings and bearings) that constitute prime movers and automatic transmissions, and lubricates between parts. In a driving device such as an automatic transmission, the lubricating oil is pressurized by a hydraulic pump and used as hydraulic oil for switching between forward and backward movements and shifting gears in a vehicle equipped with the automatic transmission.

The vehicle 1 is equipped with a device for detecting the amount of oil remaining in the oil reservoir in the above-described devices such as the prime mover and the drive device. In this embodiment, an oil amount detection device 10, which will be described in detail later, is provided as equipment for detecting the oil amount of the automatic transmission 2 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 has wheel houses 3 for housing the upper parts of the wheels at four locations on the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle body. Further, the vehicle 1 has side members 4 that are arranged to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle at the lateral sides of the vehicle in the width direction, as members constituting the vehicle body.

In addition to the configuration described above, the vehicle 1 is equipped with devices that are expected to operate during the work of detecting the oil amount of the automatic transmission 2 (oil amount detection work). In this embodiment, the radiator fan 5 is mounted as one of the devices that are assumed to operate during the oil amount detection work.

<<About the oil amount detection device 10>>
The oil amount detection device 10 is for detecting the amount of residual oil in the automatic transmission 2 mounted on the vehicle 1 described above. As shown in FIG. 3, the oil amount detection device 10 has an oil level gauge 12 and a guide pipe 14 . The oil amount detection device 10 can detect the amount of oil in the automatic transmission 2 by inserting and withdrawing the oil level gauge 12 from an opening 16 provided at the end of the guide pipe 14, as indicated by an arrow X in FIG. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the oil level gauge 12 has a handle 12a, an upper lid portion 12b, a seal portion 12c, and a gauge portion 12d. The handle 12a is a portion that is held by an operator when inserting or removing the oil level gauge 12 from the outside of the automatic transmission 2, and is attached to the end of the gauge portion 12d. An upper lid portion 12b and a seal portion 12c are provided between the handle 12a and the gauge portion 12d to prevent foreign matter from entering the automatic transmission 2 from the outside and splashes of lubricating oil from the automatic transmission 2. Prevents leakage. The upper lid portion 12b and the seal portion 12c may be integrally formed of an elastic material such as rubber.

The length from the lower surface of the upper lid portion 12b of the oil level gauge 12 to the tip of the gauge portion 12d is set so that the tip of the gauge portion 12d is immersed in the lubricating oil stored in the bottom of the casing of the automatic transmission 2. A mark for confirming whether the amount of oil is appropriate is provided at the tip of the gauge portion 12d.

The guide pipe 14 is a pipe for guiding the oil level gauge 12 toward the oil reservoir at the bottom of the automatic transmission 2 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the guide pipe 14 has an opening 16 at one end (tip). The guide pipe 14 allows the oil level gauge 12 to be inserted/extracted through an opening 16 . On the other hand, the other end (base end) of the guide pipe 14 is connected to a connection port (not shown) provided in the casing of the automatic transmission 2 . The guide pipe 14 communicates with the casing of the automatic transmission 2 via the aforementioned connection port. Therefore, by inserting the oil level gauge 12 through the opening 16 , the oil level gauge 12 can be guided to the oil reservoir provided at the bottom of the automatic transmission 2 . The guide pipe 14 also serves as a spout for pouring lubricating oil into the automatic transmission 2 . By fitting the seal portion 12c provided in the oil level gauge 12, the guide pipe 14 can prevent foreign matter from entering and lubricating oil from leaking, and can hold the oil level gauge 12 in a non-dropping manner.

As shown in FIG. 3, the guide pipe 14 has three regions from the proximal end to the distal end: a proximal end portion 14a, a bent portion 14b, and a distal end portion 14c. The guide pipe 14 has a bent shape with a bent portion 14b as a boundary.

The base end portion 14 a is a portion connected to a connection port provided in the casing of the automatic transmission 2 . The base end portion 14 a is formed to rise from the casing of the automatic transmission 2 when connected to the automatic transmission 2 .

The bent portion 14b is positioned between the proximal end portion 14a and the distal end portion 14c and has a curved shape with a predetermined curvature. As shown in FIG. 5( a ), the guide pipe 14 has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape at the proximal end portion 14 a and the distal end portion 14 c , whereas the bent portion 14 b is flattened at a predetermined flatness rate. It has an elliptical cross-sectional shape. The oblateness of the bent portion 14b is defined in consideration of the width of the gauge portion 12d of the oil level gauge 12. As shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B, even if the gauge portion 12d of the oil level gauge 12 comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the bent portion 14b, only both ends in the width direction of the oil level gauge 12 come into contact, At other locations, the size is defined so as not to come into contact with the inner wall surface of the bent portion 14b.

The tip portion 14c is a portion that is accessed by the operator when performing the oil amount detection work. The distal end of tip 14c is provided with opening 16 as described above. The tip portion 14c is formed to extend toward one side of the two wheel houses 3 provided on the front side of the vehicle 1 via the bent portion 14b. Therefore, the opening 16 exists within the wheel house 3 .

The tip portion 14c is arranged so as to be horizontal or inclined above the horizontal. From the viewpoint of preventing the lubricant from dripping when the lubricant is injected into the automatic transmission 2 or when the oil level gauge 12 is pulled out, the tip 14c is inclined above the horizontal. It is desirable that the Specifically, the tip portion 14c is desirably inclined upward by about 5 to 10 degrees from the horizontal. Based on this knowledge, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the tip portion 14c is inclined upward by about 5 to 10 degrees from the horizontal.

Further, the tip portion 14c may move around the device (automatic transmission 2) that is the object of the oil amount detection work among the devices mounted on the vehicle 1, while the oil amount detection work is being performed. are arranged in consideration of the balance with the equipment with Specifically, in the vehicle of this embodiment, the radiator fan 5 arranged on the front side with respect to the automatic transmission 2 may operate while the oil amount detection work is being performed. Also, when detecting the amount of oil, the operator accesses the opening 16 provided at the end of the tip portion 14c to remove and insert the oil level gauge 12. As shown in FIG. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 , the tip portion 14 c is arranged so that the opening 16 reaches the outside of the radiator fan 5 in the width direction of the vehicle 1 .

Further, the tip portion 14c has a structure in which an operator's hand or the like is less likely to collide with the side member 4 of the vehicle 1 when the oil level gauge 12 is pulled out from the back side of the wheel house 3 toward the front side. Placement is stipulated with due consideration. That is, the arrangement of the tip portion 14c is defined taking into account the position of the side member 4. As shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , when the front end portion 14 c is viewed from the outside in the width direction of the vehicle 1 , at least a portion of the opening 16 and the oil level gauge 12 is located on the side of the wheel house 3 . It is arranged so as to be visible at a position deviated downward from the member 4 . Further, the distal end portion 14 c is arranged so that the center of the opening 16 is located at a position deviated downward from the side member 4 when the vehicle 1 is viewed sideways from the outside in the width direction. Further, when the oil level gauge 12 is inserted into the opening 16 and the opening 16 is closed, the tip portion 14c is arranged so that at least a part of the handle 12a of the oil level gauge 12 reaches below the side member 4. there is

As described above, in the oil amount detection device 10 of this embodiment, the opening 16 of the guide pipe 14 is provided in the wheel house 3 of the vehicle 1, and the oil level gauge 12 is provided as indicated by the arrow X in FIG. It is configured such that it can be pulled out from the back side of the wheel house 3 toward the front side. Therefore, the oil quantity detection device 10 can perform oil quantity detection work without opening the engine compartment as in the prior art. Further, according to the oil amount detection device 10, there is no need to secure a space in the engine compartment for performing the oil amount detection work. Therefore, according to the oil amount detection device 10, the space in the engine compartment can be used more effectively.

In addition, in the oil amount detection device 10 of the present embodiment, the opening 16 of the guide pipe 14 is arranged, and the equipment accompanying the operation of the radiator fan 5 and the like, piping, and equipment that becomes hot are placed in front of the operator. etc. does not exist. Therefore, according to the oil amount detection device 10, even a worker who is not accustomed to the work can safely perform the oil amount detection work.

In the present embodiment, the guide pipe 14 is arranged so that the opening 16 is located away from the radiator fan 5 and the like from the viewpoint of safety improvement, but the present invention is not limited to this. not something. Specifically, when there is no need to consider the existence of the radiator fan 5, etc., such as when a separate safety measure is taken against the existence of the radiator fan 5, etc., the arrangement of the guide pipe 14 is changed from that described above. can be

As described above, in the oil amount detection device 10, the end portion (tip portion 14c) of the guide pipe 14 on the side of the opening 16 is horizontal or inclined above the horizontal. Therefore, the operation of pulling out the oil level gauge 12 from the back side of the wheel house 3 toward the front side can be reliably performed. Further, by slanting the tip portion 14c above the horizontal, it is possible to prevent the lubricant from dripping when the automatic transmission 2 is filled with the lubricant or when the oil level gauge 12 is pulled out.

In this embodiment, the tip 14c forming the end of the guide pipe 14 on the side of the opening 16 is slanted horizontally or above the horizontal as an example, but the present invention is limited to this. is not. Specifically, only a portion of the tip portion 14c may be flat or inclined above the horizontal. In addition, if there is a situation such as when lubricating oil is injected into the automatic transmission 2 or when the oil level gauge 12 is pulled out, the dripping of the lubricating oil can be dealt with by other measures, the tip portion 14c can be directed downward. It may be inclined.

Further, as described above, in the oil amount detection device 10, the bent portion 14b provided in the middle of the guide pipe 14 is flattened with a predetermined flatness ratio. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the oil level gauge 12 from coming into contact with the inner wall surface of the bent portion 14b when the oil level gauge 12 is inserted and removed, and the oil adhering to the oil level gauge 12 being removed. can be prevented. Therefore, by forming the bent portion 14b into a flat shape, it is possible to further improve the detection accuracy of the amount of oil.

In this embodiment, an example in which the bent portion 14b of the guide pipe 14 is flattened is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the bent portion 14b may have a perfect circular cross-sectional shape like the other portions, or a portion other than the bent portion 14b, such as the base end portion 14a and the tip portion 14c, may be partially or wholly bent. It may have a flat shape like 14b. Alternatively, only a portion of the bent portion 14b may be formed into a flat shape instead of the entire bent portion 14b.

As described above, when a device (radiator fan 5 in this embodiment) that is assumed to operate during the oil amount detection work is mounted on the vehicle 1, the guide pipe is positioned outside the device in the width direction of the vehicle 1. Preferably, fourteen openings 16 are arranged. In this embodiment, from such a point of view, the tip portion 14c of the guide pipe 14 is extended so that the opening 16 of the guide pipe 14 reaches the outside of the radiator fan 5 in the width direction of the vehicle 1 . Therefore, even an inexperienced worker can safely perform the oil amount detection work.

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the arrangement of the openings 16 of the guide pipe 14 is optimized in consideration of the equipment expected to operate during the quantity detection work, but the present invention is not limited to this. , and may not be arranged in such a manner.

As described above, in the oil amount detection device 10 of the present embodiment, the opening 16 and at least a part of the oil level gauge 12 are located outside the side member 4 when viewed from the outside in the width direction of the vehicle 1 . are arranged so as to be visible in the Further, in the oil amount detection device 10, the arrangement of the guide pipe 14 is defined so that the handle 12a of the oil level gauge 12 reaches below the side member 4. As shown in FIG. Further, the arrangement of the guide pipe 14 is defined so that the center of the opening 16 is positioned downwardly away from the side member 4 . Since the arrangement of the guide pipe 14 is defined in consideration of the presence of the side member 4 in this way, the operator can insert and remove the oil level gauge 12 without colliding with the side member 4 with his hand or the like. be able to.

In this embodiment, the arrangement of the guide pipe 14, the opening 16, and the oil level gauge 12 is defined in consideration of the existence of the side member 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. . If other measures are taken to prevent the operator's hand from colliding with the side member 4, the arrangement of the guide pipe 14, the opening 16, and the oil level gauge 12 may be changed as appropriate.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The oil amount detection device of the present invention can be suitably used in vehicles in general equipped with a device having an oil reservoir inside.

1: Vehicle 2: Automatic transmission (device)
3: Wheel house 4: Side member 10: Oil level detector 12: Oil level gauge 12a: Handle 14: Guide pipe 14a: Base end 14b: Bent part 14c: Tip part 16: Opening

Claims (1)

An oil amount detection device for detecting the amount of oil remaining in a vehicle having a side member disposed on a width direction side portion and having an oil reservoir portion therein,
oil level gauge and
The base end is connected to a connection port provided in the casing of the device having the oil reservoir, the oil level gauge has the base end, the bent portion, and the tip from the base end to the tip, and the oil level gauge is provided. and a guide pipe for guiding,
The amount of oil can be detected by inserting and withdrawing the oil level gauge from an opening provided at the tip of the guide pipe,
The guide pipe is bent with the bent portion as a boundary so that the oil level gauge can be pulled out from the inner side of the wheel house toward the front side as the opening reaches the inside of the wheel house of the vehicle. is,
The oil amount detection device, wherein the center of the opening is positioned downwardly away from the side member when viewed sideways from the outside in the width direction of the vehicle.

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