JPH0828239A - Detecting device for clogging of oil filter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform accurate detection of the degree of clogging of a filter through simple structure containing no electric system. CONSTITUTION:A detecting device for clogging of an oil filter is a device to detect clogging of an oil filter 3 located in a lubrication line through which lubricating oil is fed to the lubrication part of a driver having an engine and installed downstream from an oil pump to circulate lubrication oil and in the vicinity of the oil filter 3. The detecting device comprises a check valve 15 opened when a pressure of lubricating oil exerted on the oil filter 3 attains a given value and introducing lubricating oil; a storage chamber 21 to store introduced lubricating oil; and a window 22 which is formed in the storage chamber and through which the level of lubricating oil at the interior is monitored.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for detecting clogging of an oil filter provided in a lubrication line for use in a drive machine such as an engine with a transmission mounted on a motorcycle. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to achieve good lubrication in a drive machine equipped with an engine, an oil filter for filtering lubricating oil is washed or replaced at regular intervals or at constant mileage. There is. Also, if the oil filter is clogged and the hydraulic pressure reaches a certain pressure,
The relief valve operates to prevent the leakage of the lubricating oil due to the high pressure, and the flow path of the lubricating oil is opened from the oil pump, bypassing the element made of the filter material of the oil filter. Further, as in the invention of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 49-56338, there may be a case where a hydraulic alarm device having a hydraulic switch for opening and closing the hydraulic alarm circuit in conjunction with the movement of the relief valve is provided.

[0003]

In the prior art, if there is no hydraulic alarm device, the relief valve may be activated if the maintenance is neglected for a long time, and the contaminated lubricating oil may circulate to adversely affect the lubricating portion. . Also, even if maintenance is performed at regular intervals or at regular mileage, those conditions are not directly related to the degree of contamination of the lubricating oil or the clogging of the oil filter, so the relief valve operates before maintenance. However, the contaminated lubricating oil may circulate and adversely affect the lubricated part. On the contrary, there is a possibility that maintenance will be performed in a state where the oil filter is less likely to be clogged, and at this time, the maintenance work is not useful. If there is a hydraulic pressure alarm device in the related art, this is not the case, but the cost is high because the hydraulic pressure alarm device interlocking with the relief valve is connected to the electric system in addition to the relief valve.

In view of the above situation, it is an object of the present invention to provide a detection device having a simple structure not including an electric system and capable of accurately detecting the degree of contamination of lubricating oil and clogging of an oil filter.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the device of the present invention prevents clogging of an oil filter provided in a lubricating line for supplying lubricating oil to a lubricating portion of a drive machine equipped with an engine. A device for detecting, which is installed downstream of an oil pump that circulates the lubricating oil and near the oil filter, and opens when the pressure of the lubricating oil acting on the oil filter reaches a predetermined value to introduce the lubricating oil. A check valve, a storage chamber for storing the introduced lubricating oil, and a window provided in the storage chamber for observing the level of the internal lubricating oil are provided.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the oil filter is housed in a filter case, a filter cover for covering the oil filter inlet / outlet of the filter case is detachably attached to the filter case, and the window is provided with a filter. It is installed on the cover. Further, it is preferable that the check valve is further installed on the filter cover and is removable from the inside of the engine.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when the pressure of the lubricating oil acting on the oil filter reaches a predetermined value, the check valve opens and the lubricating oil is introduced into the storage chamber. Since it can be viewed from above, the degree of clogging of the oil filter can be accurately detected with a simple structure that does not include an electrical system. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the window is installed on the filter cover that covers the inlet / outlet port of the oil filter outside the oil filter, so that the detection can be easily recognized. Further, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the check valve is installed in the removable filter cover and is removable from the inside of the engine. The lubricating oil that has flowed into the chamber and the check valve can be drained, and the detection device can be easily returned to the initial state in preparation for the next detection.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a lubrication system of a transmission engine (an example of a drive machine) of a motorcycle. In the figure, the lubricating oil sucked up by the oil pump 29 from the oil pan 28 that collects the lubricating oil at the bottom of the engine 27 through the primary filter 40 is filtered by the secondary oil filter 3 and then the camshaft or the like. Is supplied to each lubrication portion of the valve mechanism 30, the transmission 31, and the crankshaft 32 including the above, and after lubrication, it falls from each lubrication portion and is collected in the oil pan 28 and circulated.
In addition, in the flow path of the lubricating oil in FIG. 4, a solid line indicates a forward path to each lubrication portion, and a broken line indicates a return path.

Next, the main part of the present invention will be described. FIG.
As shown in, a part of the clutch cover 1 that covers the side surface of the engine 27 forms a filter case 2, and the oil filter 3 is housed in the filter case 2. Holding spring 34
Holds the oil filter 3 stably with the filter cover 13 described later. The oil filter 3 includes a first side plate 4 having a hole G in the center, a second side plate 5, an element 6 made of a filter medium, an inner cylinder portion 8 having a plurality of holes H, and a relief valve 9. There is. The relief valve 9 includes a valve case 10, a plate 11 and a spring 12. At least one hole I is formed in the valve case 10 at a position slightly left of the position when the plate 11 is at the rightmost position.

The hole G formed in the center of the first side plate 4 and the hole I formed in the valve case 10 both form a flow path when the relief valve 9 is operated. The oil filter 3 communicates with the oil pump 29 at the lower side (upstream side) A, the crankshaft 32 at the upper right side (downstream side) B, and the valve operating mechanism 30 and the mission 31 at the central upper side (downstream side) C.
Lubricating oil channels A to B and A to C are formed. The filter cover 13 covers the inlet / outlet D of the oil filter 3 in the filter case 2, and is detachably attached to the filter case 2 from the outside of the engine 27 by a plurality of bolts 14 (only one is shown). Filter cover 13
Is provided with a check valve 15 that communicates with the inside of the filter case 2.

The check valve 15 includes a valve body 19 and the valve body 1.
9 is composed of a ball 17, a spring 18 and a spring receiver 20 fixed to a valve body 19. A male screw is formed on the outer side of the valve body 19, and a screw hole of the filter cover 13 is detachable from the inside of the engine 27. It is screwed into 33. Valve body 19 and spring receiver 20
Holes E and F that form a flow path when the check valve 15 is operated are opened in the center of the. A storage chamber 21 for storing the lubricating oil that has passed through the check valve 15 is formed in the filter cover 13, and a transparent window 22 that covers the storage chamber 21 is a window including a metal frame 23 and a rubber sealing material 24. It is attached via a frame 25.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. Normally, as shown in FIG. 2, the lubricating oil flowing from the oil pump 29 located on the lower side (upstream side) A is filtered by the element 6 of the oil filter 3 and the hole H opened in the inner tubular portion 8. Through the space between the inner cylindrical portion 8 and the valve case 10
To the upper side (downstream side) B and C through the flow paths J and K in the filter cover 13 and the clutch cover 1.

Here, as shown in FIG. 1, when the element 6 of the oil filter 3 is clogged and the hydraulic pressure reaches a constant pressure, the check valve 15 is activated before the relief valve 9 is activated.
Is set to work. That is, when the hydraulic pressure applied to the element 6 of the oil filter 3 reaches a constant pressure lower than the pressure at which the relief valve 9 operates, the ball 17 is pushed in, and the lubricating oil causes the hole E in the center of the valve body 19 and the spring receiver 20. , F that pass through F
It flows into storage room 21 via F. The user can see the lubricating oil that has flowed into the storage chamber 21 through the transparent window 22, and thus can know that it is time to maintain the oil filter 3. At this time, since the relief valve 9 has not been activated yet, the lubricating oil passes through the flow passages A to H to M to J to the element 6 of the oil filter 3.
It continues to flow in K-B and A-H-M-J-K-C.

At the time of maintenance, first, the bolts 14 are removed, the filter cover 13 is removed from the filter case 2, and the stored oil filter 3 is taken out for cleaning or replacement. Next, after removing the check valve 15 screwed into the screw hole 33 of the filter cover 13 and draining the lubricating oil flowing into the storage chamber 21 and the check valve 15,
The check valve 15 and the filter cover 13 are attached again to prepare for the next detection.

If maintenance is not performed for a long time after the detection and the element 6 of the oil filter 3 is further clogged and the hydraulic pressure reaches a constant pressure higher than the constant pressure at which the check valve 15 operates, In order to prevent leakage of lubricating oil due to high pressure, as shown in FIG. 3, the plate 11 is pushed (moved to the left in FIG. 3) to operate the relief valve 9, bypassing the element 6. , Through the space L between the inner part of the filter case 2 and the first side plate 4 of the oil filter 3, and through the hole G formed in the center of the first side plate 4 through the hole I formed in the valve case 10. , Flow paths A-L-G-I-M-J-K-B and A-L-G-I-M-J-K-C that pass through a space M between the inner cylindrical portion 8 and the valve case 10. Is opened. The operation of the relief valve 9 is the same as the conventional one.

In this embodiment, the lubricating oil flowing into the storage chamber 21 through the transparent window 22 was directly observed. However, the storage chamber 21 is provided with a float, and the window facing the tip of the float is the storage chamber. It may be arranged above, and when the lubricating oil flows into the storage chamber 21, the tip of the float can be seen through the window.

[0017]

According to the present invention, the degree of clogging of the oil filter can be accurately detected with a simple structure including no electric system. Therefore, the maintenance of the oil filter can be performed without waste at an appropriate time, and the life of the drive unit can be extended with reduced maintenance cost for the entire drive unit including the engine.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional front view showing a state of a device of the present invention when a check valve is activated.

FIG. 2 is a sectional front view showing a normal state of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional front view showing a state when the relief valve of the device of the present invention is operating.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a lubricating system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... Filter case, 3 ... Oil filter, 13 ... Filter cover, 15 ... Check valve, 21 ... Storage chamber, 22 ... Window,
D: Oil filter inlet / outlet port.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A device for detecting clogging of an oil filter provided in a lubrication line for supplying lubricating oil to a lubricating portion of a drive machine equipped with an engine, the device being downstream of an oil pump for circulating the lubricating oil and A check valve that is installed near the oil filter and opens when the pressure of the lubricating oil acting on the oil filter reaches a specified value to introduce the lubricating oil; a storage chamber that stores the introduced lubricating oil; A clogging detection device for an oil filter, which is provided with a window provided in the chamber for viewing the level of lubricating oil inside. 2. The oil filter according to claim 1, wherein the oil filter is housed in a filter case, and a filter cover for covering the inlet / outlet port of the oil filter in the filter case is detachably attached to the filter case, and the window is attached to the filter cover. A device to detect clogging of the installed oil filter. 3. The device for detecting clogging of an oil filter according to claim 2, wherein the check valve is installed on the filter cover and is removable from the inside of the engine.