JPH0629534B2 - Lubricating oil supply state detection device in internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To certainly detect trouble with an oil pump and nonsupply condition of lubricating oil by providing a detection chamber, equipped with a luminous part on one side wall and a light receiving part on the other side wall, and also providing a mobile body housed in the detection chamber. CONSTITUTION:As a detection chamber, a float chamber 23 formed by a transparent body is formed in the medium part of a pressurized lubricating oil feed pipe 22. In a float chamber 23, a luminous part 25 is provided on one side wall, while a light receiving part 26 provided on the other side wall. A float 29 as a mobile body is housed inside the float chamber 23. During nonpressurized lubricating oil feeling, the float 29 is stopped in a detection area 24 interposed between an ignition part 25 and a light receiving part 26, while it is positioned outside the detection area 24 during pressurized lubricating oil feeding. Thus, trouble with an oil pump and nonsupply condition of lubricating oil can be certainly detected.

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device for detecting a lubricating oil supply state in an internal combustion engine.

BACKGROUND ART As one of lubricating devices for outboard motors and the like, there is a separate lubricating device that stores fuel and lubricating oil in separate tanks and supplies the lubricating oil to various parts of an engine by an oil pump.

In this separation lubrication apparatus, if the lubricating oil is not properly supplied to the engine, a trouble such as seizure occurs in the engine, and it becomes impossible to continue the operation.

Conventionally, in order to avoid the occurrence of troubles due to poor lubrication of the engine, the oil level of the oil tank is detected, and when the oil level falls below a predetermined level, an alarm is issued to the driver or misfire control of the engine is performed. Methods such as doing have been proposed.

However, the previously proposed method is based on the detection of the change in the oil level in the oil tank,
It does not detect the condition where the lubricating oil pressure feed is stopped or insufficient due to the malfunction of the oil pump, the obstruction of the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe connected to the discharge port of the oil pump, the damage, etc.
It has not been possible to reliably detect the supply state of lubricating oil to the engine.

Therefore, in order to reliably detect the supply state of the lubricating oil to the engine, the applicant of the present invention stated in a patent application dated June 28, 1984, that "the oil having a suction port and a discharge port for the lubricating oil is provided. A pump, a lubricating oil pressure pipe having one end connected to the discharge port of the oil pump, and the other end connected to the lubricating oil supply part of the engine, and the lubricating oil pressure pipe provided on one side across the detection region in the lubricating oil pressure pipe. It has a light emitting portion, a light receiving portion which is disposed on the other side of the detection area in the lubrication hydraulic pressure feeding pipe and which generates an electric signal related to the amount of received light, and an operating portion which operates by the electric signal generated by the light receiving portion. "A device for detecting the lubricating oil supply state in an internal combustion engine" is proposed.

According to the previously proposed detection device, when the lubricating oil is pumped, the detection light generated by the light emitting unit reaches the light receiving unit in a state of being attenuated by the lubricating oil existing in the detection region, During non-pressure feeding, the detection light generated by the light emitting unit reaches the light receiving unit through the air existing in the detection region with almost no attenuation. Therefore, this detection device can detect that there is no lubricating oil in the detection area, that is, that the lubricating oil is not supplied, only when the amount of light received by the light receiving unit exceeds the standard value.

However, when the lubricating oil is not pressure-fed, not only the lubricating oil does not always exist in the detection area, but also there is no flow of the lubricating oil, and the lubricating oil may exist in the detection area in a retained state. That is, the previously proposed detection device detects the supply state of the lubricating oil depending on the presence or absence of the lubricating oil in the detection region. In spite of the fact that the lubricating oil is not supplied to the engine, its non-supply state cannot be detected.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention detects whether lubricating oil is actually flowing in the lubricating oil supply pipe, and determines whether the lubricating oil is not supplied to the engine due to malfunction of the oil pump, damage to the lubricating oil supply pipe, or the like. The purpose is to reliably detect the supply state.

[Configuration of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a detection chamber formed with a detection region at an intermediate portion of a lubricating oil supply pipe for supplying lubricating oil to a lubricating oil supply portion of an engine. A light emitting unit and a light receiving unit disposed on opposite side walls sandwiching the detection region of the detection chamber,
The moving light, which is located in the detection area when the lubricating oil is not pumped and is located outside the detection area when the lubricating oil is pumped, and the detection light emitted by the light emitting section are received through the light receiving section, and the detected light receiving amount is appropriate. And a lubrication abnormality detection circuit that outputs a lubrication abnormality signal when the quantity is smaller than the lower limit or larger than the upper limit.

[Advantageous Effects of the Invention] When the proper flow of the lubricating oil is not formed in the lubricating oil supply pipe, even if the lubricating oil stays inside the lubricating oil supply pipe, the moving body is in the detection area. Since the moving body blocks the transmission path of the detection light from the light emitting part to the light receiving part by the moving body, the light receiving amount of the light receiving part becomes smaller than the lower limit value of the proper light receiving amount, and the lubrication abnormality output by the lubrication abnormality detection circuit The signal makes it possible to detect that the supply state of the lubricating oil is not proper.

If there is an unacceptable amount of air bubbles in the lubricating oil that flows through the lubricating oil supply pipe, the detection light emitted by the light emitting unit will have high transmission through the air bubbles even if the moving object is located outside the detection area. It reaches the light receiving unit at a rate, the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit becomes larger than the upper limit value of the proper light receiving amount, and it is possible to detect that the lubrication oil supply state is not proper by the lubrication abnormality signal output from the lubrication abnormality detection circuit.

[Detailed Description of the Invention] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outboard motor to which the first embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a detection system diagram showing the main parts of the same embodiment.

The outboard motor 10 is attachable to a stern plate 11 of a hull, and has a propulsion unit 12 having an upper portion, for example, a V-type four cylinder 2
The cycle engine 13 is installed. This engine 1
The carburetors 15 and the intake boxes 16 are connected to the crank chambers of the respective cylinders in No. 3 via the intake manifolds 14.

An oil tank 17 is fixed to the upper portion of the side surface of the engine 13. The lubricating oil in the oil tank 17 is sucked into the suction pipe 18
After that, the oil can flow into the oil pump 19 fixed to the lower portion of the oil tank 17 on the side surface of the engine 13.

As the oil pump 19, for example, a plunger pump is used, and under the rotation of a driven gear that meshes with a drive gear fixed to the crankshaft of the engine 13, the oil pump 19 performs a pumping action by moving the plunger up and down in the pump chamber. The oil pump 19 is
Lubricating oil introduced from the oil tank 17 through the suction port 20 to which the suction pipe 18 is connected is passed through the respective lubrication hydraulic pressure supply pipes 22 connected to the respective discharge ports 21, and is used as the lubrication oil supply portion of each cylinder. It is pressure-fed to each air manifold 14 and can be discharged into the air-fuel mixture. In addition, each intake manifold 1
The lubricating oil discharged into the air-fuel mixture in No. 4 is the engine 1
After lubricating each part of No. 3, it is burned and consumed.

Then, in the middle portion of each of the lubrication hydraulic feed pipes 22, the second
As shown in the figure, a float chamber 23 made of a transparent body is formed as a detection chamber in the present invention. The lower oil feeding space inside the float chamber 23 in FIG.
It is supposed to be 4. In the float chamber 23, the detection area 2
A light emitting portion 25 formed of a semiconductor element such as a light emitting diode is disposed on one side wall sandwiching the light emitting diode 4. Further, in the float chamber 23, a light receiving section 26 made of a semiconductor element such as a photodiode or a phototransistor is disposed on the other side wall sandwiching the detection region 24. Light receiving part 26
Can generate an electric signal related to the amount of received light.
The light emitting unit 25 and the light receiving unit 26 are connected to the control device 27 as described in detail later, and the control device 27 enables the actuation unit 28 by the electric signal generated by the light receiving unit 26.

A float 29, which is a moving body in the present invention, is accommodated in the float chamber 23 in a floating manner. The float 29 stays in the detection region 24 sandwiched between the light emitting unit 25 and the light receiving unit 26 under the action of gravity when the lubricating oil is not pressure-fed, and when the lubricating oil is pressure-fed, the dynamic pressure of the flow of the lubricating oil is applied. It is lifted and can be positioned outside the detection area 24.

3 (A) and 3 (B) are state diagrams showing displacement of the float 29 due to changes in the flow state of the lubricating oil in the lubricating hydraulic feed pipe 22. That is, when the flow velocity of the lubricating oil in the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe 22 is zero or less than a predetermined value, the float 29 causes the detection region 24 to move as shown in FIG. 3 (A).
Detection light emitted from the light emitting unit 25 is stopped at the float 29.
Then, the light is received by the light receiving section 26 and is made zero as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the flow velocity of the lubricating oil in the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe 22 exceeds a predetermined value, the float 29 moves above the detection region 24 and the light emitting unit 25 emits, as shown in FIG. 3 (B). The detection light is transmitted to the light receiving unit 26 while being attenuated by the lubricating oil inside the detection region 24,
As shown in FIG. 4, the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit 26 is set to a medium level which exceeds the lower limit value A of the proper light receiving amount. Therefore, in this embodiment, the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit 26 is the lower limit value A of the proper light receiving amount.
When it becomes smaller, it is possible to detect that there is no proper flow of the lubricating oil in the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe 22, that is, that the supply state of the lubricating oil is not appropriate.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show the float 2 due to a change in the mixing state of the air bubbles F in the lubricating oil flowing through the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe 22.
It is a state diagram showing the displacement of No. 9. That is, the lubricating hydraulic pipe 22
When the mixing amount of air bubbles mixed in the lubricating oil flowing through is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, a large amount of air bubbles pass through the detection area 24 as shown in FIG. The detection light emitted from the portion 25 is transmitted with a high transmittance with almost no attenuation due to the presence of the lubricating oil, and the received light amount of the light receiving portion 26 is a large value exceeding the upper limit value B of the appropriate received light amount as shown in FIG. And On the other hand, when the mixing amount of the air bubbles mixed in the lubricating oil flowing through the lubricating hydraulic feed pipe 22 is smaller than the predetermined value, the detection area 24 is filled with a small amount of air as shown in FIG. 5 (B). Only bubbles pass, and the detection light emitted by the light emitting unit 25 is transmitted to the light receiving unit 26 in a state of being attenuated by the presence of the lubricating oil, and the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit 26 is set to the upper limit of the proper light receiving amount as shown in FIG. It is smaller than the value B. Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit 26 is larger than the upper limit value of the proper light receiving amount, there is no proper flow of the lubricating oil in the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe 22, that is, the lubricating oil supply state. It is possible to detect that is not appropriate.

FIG. 7 is a control system diagram showing a lubrication abnormality detection circuit 27 and an operating unit 28 which operate according to a change in the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 26. The lubrication abnormality detection circuit 27 includes a power supply circuit 30, a voltage conversion circuit 31, a first comparison circuit 32, and a second comparison circuit 3.
3, the output circuit 34 is provided, and as the operating unit 28,
For example, there are an alarm buzzer 35, an alarm red lamp 36, and a misfire circuit 37 of the CDI ignition device of the engine 13. here,
The power supply circuit 30 is connected to the light emitting unit 25,
Can emit light. In addition, the voltage conversion circuit 31 outputs an electric signal output by the light receiving unit 26 in accordance with a change in the amount of received light to the voltage V.
Can be converted to. The first comparison circuit 32 uses the voltage V
Is compared with a first reference voltage VA corresponding to the lower limit value A of the appropriate received light amount, and when the voltage V is lower than the first reference voltage VA, there is no proper flow of lubricating oil in the lubricating oil pressure supply pipe 22. Is detected and the lubrication abnormality signal output from the output circuit 34 activates the operating portion 28, so that the driver of the engine 13 can be warned of the occurrence of this abnormality. In addition, the second comparison circuit 3
3 compares the voltage V with a second reference voltage VB corresponding to the upper limit value B of the appropriate amount of received light, and when the voltage V is higher than the second reference voltage VB, the lubricating oil flowing through the lubricating oil pressure supply pipe 22. The presence of unacceptable air bubbles is detected, and the lubrication abnormality signal output from the output circuit 34 activates the operating unit 28 to warn the driver of the engine 13 of the occurrence of this abnormality.

That is, according to the above-described embodiment, when the proper flow of the lubricating oil is not formed in the lubricating hydraulic pressure pipe 22, even if the lubricating oil stays inside the lubricating hydraulic pressure pipe 22,
Since the float 29 stays in the detection area 24 and blocks the transmission path of the detection light from the light emitting unit 25 to the light receiving unit 26 by the float 29, the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit 26 becomes smaller than the lower limit value A of the proper light receiving amount. The operating unit 28 is operated via the lubrication abnormality detection circuit 27, and it is possible to warn that the supply state of the lubricating oil is not proper. Further, when an unacceptable amount of air bubbles is present in the lubricating oil flowing through the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe 22, even if the float 29 is located outside the detection area 24, the detection light emitted by the light emitting unit 25 is air. It reaches the light receiving unit 26 with high transmittance through bubbles, the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit 26 becomes larger than the upper limit value B of the proper light receiving amount, the operating unit 28 is operated via the lubrication abnormality detection circuit 27, and the lubricating oil It is possible to warn that the supply status is not proper.

In addition, the said Example demonstrated the case where the light-emitting part 25 and the light-receiving part 26 were directly arrange | positioned at the both side walls of the float chamber 23. However, the light emitting section 25 and the light receiving section 26 may be arranged on both side walls of the float chamber 23 with the optical transmission pipes interposed.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG.

In the second embodiment, a detection chamber 41 made of a transparent material is arranged in the middle of the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe 40. Detection room 4
In No. 1, a detection region 42 is formed, a light emitting portion 43 is arranged on one side wall facing each other, and a light receiving portion 44 is arranged on the other side wall. Inside the detection chamber 41, a moving body 46 that faces the inflow port 40A of the lubricating hydraulic feed pipe 40 and is back-supported by a spring 45 is housed. The moving body 46 is operated by the elastic force of the spring 45 when the lubricating oil is not pumped.
It is located in the detection region 42 sandwiched between the light receiving portion 44 and moves to the outside of the detection region 42 under the dynamic pressure action of the lubricating oil flowing from the inflow port 40A when the lubricating oil is pumped.

Therefore, when the proper flow of the lubricating oil is not formed at the time of sending the lubricating oil pressure 40, even if the lubricating oil stays inside the lubricating oil pressure feeding pipe 40, the moving body 46 moves to the detection area 42. Since the moving body 46 interrupts the transmission path of the detection light that stops and goes from the light emitting unit 43 to the light receiving unit 44, the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit 44 becomes smaller than the lower limit value of the appropriate light receiving amount, and the supply state of the lubricating oil is reduced. Allows detection of improperness. Further, when an unacceptable amount of air bubbles are present in the lubricating oil flowing through the lubricating hydraulic pressure pipe 40, even if the moving body 46 is located outside the detection area 42, the detection light emitted by the light emitting unit 43 is air. Light receiving unit 44 with high transmittance through bubbles
And the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 44 becomes larger than the upper limit of the appropriate amount of received light, and it is possible to detect that the supply state of the lubricating oil is not appropriate.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG.

In the third embodiment, a detection chamber 51 made of a transparent body is arranged in the middle of the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe 50. Detection room 5
In No. 1, a detection area 52 is formed, a light emitting portion 53 is arranged on one side wall facing each other, and a light receiving portion 54 is arranged on the other side wall. Inside the detection chamber 51, a flexible moving body 55 is housed vertically above the inlet 50 </ b> A of the lubricating hydraulic feed pipe 50. The moving body 55 hangs down by its own weight when the lubricating oil is not pumped, and the moving body 55 and the light receiving portion 54
Located in the detection area 52 sandwiched between the
It moves to the outside of the detection area 52 under the dynamic pressure of the lubricating oil flowing in from the inflow port 50A.

Therefore, when the proper flow of the lubricating oil is not formed in the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe 50, even if the lubricating oil stays inside the lubricating hydraulic pressure supply pipe 50, the moving body 55 moves to the detection area 52. Since the moving body 55 interrupts the transmission path of the detection light that stops and goes from the light emitting unit 53 to the light receiving unit 54, the light receiving amount of the light receiving unit 54 becomes smaller than the lower limit value of the proper light receiving amount, and the supply state of the lubricating oil is reduced. Allows detection of improperness. Further, in the case where an unacceptable amount of air bubbles is present in the lubricating oil flowing through the lubricating oil pressure supply pipe 50, even if the moving body 55 is located outside the detection area 52, the detection light emitted by the light emitting unit 53 will be air. Light receiving section 54 with high transmittance through bubbles
And the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 54 becomes larger than the upper limit value of the appropriate amount of received light, and it is possible to detect that the supply state of the lubricating oil is not appropriate.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is detected whether or not the lubricating oil is actually flowing in the lubricating oil supply pipe, and is generated due to malfunction of the oil pump, damage to the lubricating oil supply pipe, or the like. It is possible to reliably detect the non-supply state of the lubricating oil to the engine that operates.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outboard motor to which the first embodiment of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a detection system diagram showing the main parts of the same embodiment, and FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B). FIG. 4 is a state diagram showing the displacement of the float due to changes in the flow state of the lubricating oil in the lubricating hydraulic pressure pipe, and FIG. FIGS. 5 (A) and 5 (B) are state diagrams showing displacement of the float due to changes in the mixing state of air bubbles in the lubricating oil flowing through the lubricating hydraulic pressure pipe, and FIG. 6 is flowing through the lubricating hydraulic pressure pipe. A diagram showing the relationship between the amount of air bubbles mixed in the lubricating oil and the amount of light received by the light receiving unit,
FIG. 7 is a control system diagram of the same embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a second diagram of the present invention.
9 is a sectional view showing an embodiment, FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. 13 ... Engine, 14 ... Intake manifold, 19 ...
… Oil pump, 20 …… Suction port, 21 …… Discharge port, 2
2, 40, 50 ... Lubricating hydraulic supply pipe, 23 ... Float chamber, 24, 42, 52 ... Detection area, 25, 43, 53
...... Light emitting part, 26, 44, 54 ...... Light receiving part, 27 ...... Lubrication abnormality detection circuit, 28 ...... Operating part, 29 ...... Float,
41, 51 ... Detection unit, 46, 55 ... Moving body.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A detection chamber formed with a detection region in the middle of a lubricating oil supply pipe for supplying lubricating oil to a lubricating oil supply unit of an engine, and to opposite side walls sandwiching the detection region of the detection chamber. The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit arranged, the moving body located inside the detection region when the lubricating oil is not pressure-fed, and the moving body located outside the detection region when the lubricating oil is pressure-fed, and the detection light emitted from the light emitting unit via the light receiving unit. Detection of the lubricating oil supply state in an internal combustion engine, comprising: a lubrication abnormality detection circuit that outputs a lubrication abnormality signal when the received light amount is smaller than the lower limit of the proper light reception amount or larger than the upper limit of the proper light reception amount. apparatus.