MXPA99012010A - Structural carter with cooling and filtration system of integr oil - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a crankcase for oil for an internal combustion engine, the crankcase for oil comprises: a body defining a reservoir for collecting lubricant from the engine, the reservoir has a bottom and side walls extending upwardly from the bottom to present a flange with flanges through which the oil pan can be mounted on the engine, an oil cooler assembly housed inside the body of the oil pan to cool the lubricant received from the engine, in body includes an inlet passage of oil formed integrally therewith to receive the lubricant coming from the engine and to supply a lubricant to the oil-cooler assembly, and the body further includes a passage for collecting oil integrally formed therewith providing fluid communication between the tank and the motor through flange with flange

Description

STRUCTURAL C RTER WITH INTEGRATED OIL COOLING AND FILTRATION SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is generally directed towards internal combustion engines and, more specifically, to an internal combustion engine having a crankcase for improved structural oil. 2. Description of the Related Art Internal combustion engines known in the related art typically include, among other basic components, a cast motor block, a head mounted to the engine block and a valve cover fastened to the head. A plurality of pistons rise and fall within cylinders formed in the engine block. Likewise, a plurality of valves supported on the head are opened and closed via exhaust cams, cams or other mechanisms to provide fluid communication between the cylinders and the intake and exhaust manifolds. The fuel stays inside the cylinders to raise and lower the pistons which, in turn, act on a crankshaft from which the energy can be transmitted to drive a motor vehicle or any other number of other devices. The various moving parts in an internal combustion engine need to be lubricated and cooled. Up to this point, the coolant circulates through the engine block and the lubricant, such as engine oil, is spread over the movable parts. After this, the lubricant moves through the engine under the force of gravity and is collected in a crankcase for oil that is fixed to the bottom of the engine block. The lubricant is pumped from the oil sump to the inside of the head and the engine block via collection pipes that communicate with the oil sump. Lubricants must also be filtered and cooled and most engines employ separate oil filters and coolants which are installed within the lubrication circuit via several tubes and housings supported by clamps and gaskets associated with the engine. Internal combustion engines Modern systems often require engineering components to limit noise and vibration. This is especially true for diesel engines, some of which require a high degree of noise and vibration attenuation to remain competitive in certain markets. The crankcase of the engine oil is a source of significant noise radiation in a diesel engine. To limit the source radiation of this noise, special materials or compounds can be used for the oil sump which reduce engine noise. Alternatively, the oil pan can be tightened or weakened to change the natural vibration frequency so that the oil pan is out of the motor's excitation frequency range. In this way, the noise of the oil pan can be minimized. However, in some engines, especially in heavy duty applications, the oil pan serves as a structural member for the engine and the associated transmission. In such situations, the oil sump should be tightened, instead of weakening. In addition, in these cases, most materials and compounds that reduce noise are not practical for such applications. Thus, there is a need for the technique for improved vibration and noise attenuation for internal combustion engines and specifically such attenuation through the oil crankcase in diesel engines. In addition to attenuating vibration and noise, there is a constant need to simplify systems and reduce components to reduce costs and the flow path of manufacturing processes for internal combustion engines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the disadvantages in the prior art in a crankcase for oil for an internal combustion engine that has a body that defines a reservoir to collect the lubricant from the engine. The reservoir has side walls that extend from the bottom to present a flange with flanges. The flange edge serves as the mechanism through which the oil pan can be mounted to the engine. The oil pan also includes an oil cooler assembly housed inside the tank body to cool the lubricant received from the engine. The body also includes an oil inlet passage formed integrally therewith for receiving engine lubricant and for supplying lubricant to the engine cooler. further, the body further includes an oil collecting passage formed integrally therewith which provides a fluid communication between the reservoir and the motor through the flange with flanges. An oil filter can be vibrated directly and mounted directly to the body of the oil pan. In this regard, the oil filter passages can be formed integrally with the body and provide fluid communication for the lubricant traveling between the oil cooler assembly and the oil filter. The fluids that are conducted through the body of the oil sump serve to reduce engine noise. The oil collector, the oil inlet and the oil filter passages formed integrally with the body of the oil pan create ribs that serve to reinforce and tighten the oil pan in such a way that the natural vibration frequencies for the crankcase oil are changed outside the motor excitation frequency range. At the time, a number of components and components are usually associated with oil liter and oil cooling systems can be eliminated. More specifically, the present invention eliminates the need for a separate oil cooler housing, a separate oil filter housing as well as the pipe, gaskets, fasteners, clamps and fasteners associated with these housings. The present invention also minimizes the chance of external leaks when compared to conventional oil housings. In this way, the present invention not only reduces engine noise arising from the oil pan, but also results in fewer components, reduced assembly time, increased manufacturing efficiencies and therefore reduces overall costs for the oil system. Accordingly, an advantage to the present invention is that a crankcase for improved structural oil is provided. Another advantage of the present invention is that the crankcase for the oil effectively decreases the noise and vibration of the engine that arises through the oil pan. Another advantage of the present invention is that it integrates the oil filter and oil cooled systems into the oil pan. Another advantage of the present invention is that the heat arising from the oil is transferred to the engine coolant to help the engine warm up for reduced emissions. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it eliminates a number of components as well as the associated pipe, clamps, pipes, fasteners, gaskets, seals and fasteners thereby simplifying the oil cooling system as well as the oil filter system. oil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other advantages of the invention can easily be appreciated at the same time that they will be better understood, referring to the following detailed description when considered together with the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view in partially cut perspective illustrating the pistons rising and falling inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine and showing the oil pan of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of an oil pan with integrated oil filtration and cooling systems of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic view of an oil circuit contemplated by the present invention. • 10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Referring now to the drawings, where similar numbers represent similar structures, and particularly to the Figure 1, there is described what in many considerations is a conventional internal combustion engine, generally indicated at 10. In the preferred embodiment, the engine 10 would be a diesel or ignition engine with pressure but those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the engine 10 can also be a spark ignition engine. The motor 10 includes a cast motor block (typically iron) 12, a head 14 mounted on the motor block 12 and a cover valve 16 fastened to the head. A plurality of pistons 18 rise and fall to the cylinders 20 formed in the engine block 12. Likewise, a plurality of valves (not shown) supported on the head 14 are opened and closed via exhaust cams, cams or another mechanism for providing fluid communication between the cylinders 20 and the intake and exhaust manifolds as is commonly known in the art. The fuel is burned into the cylinders 20 to raise and lower the pistons 18 which, in turn, act on the crankshaft from which the energy can be transmitted to drive a motor vehicle or any other number of devices. The motor 10 also includes a number of other common components that are commonly known in the art and will not be described in detail here. As mentioned above, the various movable parts of an internal combustion engine 10 need to be lubricated and cooled. Up to this point, the coolant is circulated through the engine block 12 and the lubricant, such as engine oil, is spread over the movable parts. The lubricant can be an organic oil, synthetic oils or any other type of liquid lubricant. However, it should be noted that the particularities of the lubricant are not important for the purposes of the present invention and those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the number of different liquid lubricants can be cooled without departing from the scope of the present invention. The lubricant moves through the engine 10 and due to the gravity force is collected in a crankcase for oil, generally indicated at 22 which is fixed to the lower part of the engine block 12 as will be discussed in detail later. In conjunction with Figure 1, the structural oil pan of the present invention is generally indicated at 22 in Figure 2. The oil pan 22 includes a cast aluminum body generally indicated at 24, which defines a reservoir 26 for collecting the oil. Engine coolant Those skilled in the art will immediately recognize that other lightweight materials, such as magnesium, can also be used to be the oil sump. The reservoir 26 forms a receptacle for the lubricant and has a bottom 28 and sidewalls 31, 32, 34 and 36 that extend ascentrally from the bottom 28 to present a flange flange 38 through which the casing Oil 22 can be mounted on the engine. So far, the flange with flanges 38 also includes a plurality of openings 40 adapted to receive fasteners, such as screws (not shown), which are used to mount the oil pan 22 to the lower part of the engine block 12. The engine block 12 has a confronting surface which is adapted to engage the flange with flanges 30 in a splice relationship. A gasket is interposed between the flange flange 38 and the lower part of the engine block 12 to achieve a hermetic seal. Since the oil sump 22 shown in the Figures has what it has identified as four side walls that are generally rectangular in shape, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the oil sump 22 of the present invention can take any other form geometric and having any number of side walls of varying sizes and shapes as may be dictated by the application, the convention or the internal combustion engine and that such differences in size and shape between the oil pan and the present invention as will be discussed below are not materials.

The body 24 of the oil pan includes a plurality of reinforcement ribs 42 formed in the bottom 28 of the reservoir 26. It is also contemplated that the ribs may be formed in the side walls of the oil pan, and that they would be oriented perpendicularly to the walls lateral The reinforcing ribs 42 are provided in a spaced relation parallel with respect to one another to reinforce the body 24 and to dissipate the heat from the oil pan. The oil pan 22 also includes an oil cooler assembly, generally indicated 44, housed within the body 24 of the oil pan 22 to cool the received lubricant coming from the engine. In addition, the oil pan 22 of the present invention also includes a vibrating oil filter 46 mounted on the body 24. The body 24 includes at least one, but possibly more than one, oil inlet passages 48. integrally formed therewith to receive lubricant coming from the engine 10 and to supply lubricant to the oil filter assembly 46. The oil is then routed through an internal passage in the crankcase to the oil cooler 44. Up to this point, the oil inlet passage 48 has an opening 50 formed in the flange flange 38 which in fluid communication with a similar opening in the engine block 12 for the purpose of routing the cooled and filtered oil back to the engine. Similarly, the body 24 also includes an oil collecting passage 52 formed integrally therewith and providing a fluid communication between the reservoir 26 and the motor 10 through the flange with flanges 38. The collecting passage 52 having an inlet 54 formed in the bottom 28 in the tank 26 and at least one outlet 56 formed in the flange with flanges 38 of the body 24. A strainer can also be used in the inlet 54 to pick up passage 52 to further filter the oil flowing through the engine 10 lubrication system. This arrangement eliminates certain commonly used oil collection tubes, clamps, seals and fasteners typically found in engine engines. internal combustion. An oil pump (not shown) is used to pump the oil from the reservoir 26 through the collecting passage 52 and into the motor 10. The oil pan 22 also includes oil filter passages 58 formed integrally with the body 24 and providing fluid communication for the lubricant traveling between the oil filter 46 and the cooler assembly 44. The oil cooler assembly 44 is housed within a cavity 60 formed in the body 24 that includes an inlet 62 in fluid communication with the oil passage 48. The pipe 64 is bent to form a circular path having intersecting turns 66. In addition, a plurality of elongated fins 68 are interposed between the pipe 64 and are arranged at regularly spaced apart intervals relative to one another. An outlet 50 is in fluid communication with the engine 10. In this manner, the lubricant flows through the circular pipe 64 in such a way that the heat is transferred from the lubricant to the environment surrounding it via the elongated fins 68 before to be routed to the motor 10 and to the oil passage 50. A grooved cover 72 is vibrationally mounted to the body 24 to cover the cavity 60. The drain screw 80 is used to allow access to the tank 26 to stop draining the tank. lubricant. In addition, the body 24 also includes cooling passages 74 integrally formed therewith and passing through at least a portion of the body 24. The cooling passages 74 have at least one inlet 76 and at least one outlet 78. These inlets 76, 78 are formed in the flange flange 38 to provide fluid communication for the engine coolant f-1 between the engine and the coolant passages 74 extending through the body 24. The coolant passages 74 are wound around the walls sides and the bottom of the oil pan which increases the transfer of heat from the oil to the coolant for improved engine heating characteristics. A cooling fluid drain screw 82 is also located at the bottom of the crankcase in communication with the cooling passages 74 for draining the cooling fluid from these passages 74 in the body 24 of the oil sump 22. The cooling liquid and the lubricant which is conducted through the body 24 of the oil sump 22 via their respective passages serve to decrease the engine noise. . The oil collector 52, oil inlet 48 and the oil filter 58 and the passages 51 as well as the coolant passages all are cast or recessed inside the aluminum body 24 of the oil pan 22. These passages serve to reinforce and tighten the oil pan in such a way that the natural vibration frequencies for the oil pan 22 are changed to the motor excitation frequency range. At the same time, a number of components and components that are normally associated with the oil filter and oil cooling systems in the related art have been eliminated. More specifically, the present invention eliminates the need for oil filter chambers and oil cooler supported away from the oil pan via associated clamps and fasteners as well as the pipe and seals required to interconnect the oil filters and oil coolers. of the technique related to other components in the engine. The integrally formed passages in the body 24 of the oil pan 22 of the present invention also minimize the opportunity for external leakage when compared to the conventional oil crankcase. Thus, the oil sump 22 of the present invention not only reduces engine noise and radiated from the oil sump, it also results in fewer components, an increase in the manufacturing requirement and therefore reduces the overall cost for the engine 10 cooling the oil pan 22 of the present invention. Now looking at Figure 3, a schematic view of the oil flow circuit 11 contemplated in the invention is shown in this. The oil is transported from the reservoir through the oil pump 25 and carried through the oil filter 46 to the oil inlet 44. The motor cooler 45 moves through the oil, thereby cooling the oil that travels through the cooler. The filtered oil is pumped to the engine 10, where, after contemplating its circuits through the oil passages in the engine, it is sent hot and not filtered back to the tank 26 to complete the cycle. The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It should be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of description rather than limitation. Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced differently than as specifically described.

Claims (16)

1. A crankcase for oil for an internal combustion engine, the crankcase for oil comprises: a body that defines a reservoir for collecting lubricant from the engine, the reservoir has a bottom and side walls that extend upwards from the bottom to present a flanged flange through which the oil pan can be mounted on the engine; an oil cooler assembly housed within the body of the oil pan to cool the lubricant received from the engine; the body includes an oil inlet passage formed integrally therewith for receiving the lubricant coming from the engine and for supplying a lubricant to the oil-cooler assembly; and the body further includes a passage for collecting oil integrally formed therewith providing fluid communication between the reservoir and the motor through the flange with flanges.

2. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 1, which further includes an oil filter 1 and emi mounted on the body and oil filter passages formed integrally with the body and providing a fluid communication for the lubricant traveling between the oil cooler assembly and the oil filter.

3. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 2, wherein the oil-cooler assembly is housed within a cavity formed in the body, includes an inlet in fluid communication with the oil inlet passage, pipe bent to form a path circular having intersecting turns and a plurality of elongated fins interposed between the pipe and disposed at regularly spaced intervals relative to one another, an outlet in fluid communication with the filter passage and wherein the lubricant flows through the circular pipe in such a way that the heat is transferred from the lubricant to the surrounding environment via such elongated fins.

4. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 1, wherein the body includes a r e or vibra l cover mounted thereon to cover said cavity.

5. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 1, wherein the body includes passages of coolant formed integrally therewith and passing through at least a portion of the body, the passages of coolant fluid having at least one inlet and at least an outlet, at least one outlet and one inlet, formed in the flange flange to provide fluid communication for the engine coolant fluid between the engine and the coolant passages extending through the body.

6. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 1, wherein the collection passage has an inlet formed in the bottom of the tank and at least one outlet formed in the flange with flanges of the body to provide fluid communication for the lubricant for the deposit and the engine.

7. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 1, wherein the body includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs formed at the bottom of the reservoir and provided in a parallel relation spaced apart from one another to reinforce the body and to dissipate the heat of the crankcase for oil.

8. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 1, wherein the body is made of cast aluminum.

9. An internal combustion engine that includes: an engine block and a crankcase for oil; The oil pan includes a body defining a reservoir for collecting the lubricant from the motor, the reservoir has a bottom and side walls that extend as far as the bottom to present a flange with flanges through which the crankcase can be mounted in the engine block; an oil cooler assembly housed inside the crankcase body for oil to cool the lubricant received from the engine; the body includes an oil inlet passage integrally formed therewith for receiving engine lubricant and for supplying lubricant to the oil-cooler assembly; the body further includes an oil collecting passage formed integrally therewith providing fluid communication between the reservoir and the motor through the flange with flanges.

10. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 9, which further includes a removib oil filter 1 mounted on the body and oil filter passages formed integrally with the body and providing fluid communication for the lubricant traveling between the assembly Oil cooler and oil filter.

11. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 10, wherein the oil-cooler assembly is housed within a cavity formed in the body and including an inlet in fluid communication with the oil inlet passage, pipe bent to form a path of circuit having turns in the form of a hair pin and a plurality of elongated fins interposed between said pipe and provided at regularly spaced intervals relative to each other, an outlet in fluid communication with the oil filter passage, and in where the lubricant flows through the pipe circuit in such a way that heat is transferred from the lubricant to the surrounding environment via the elongated fins.

12. Crankcase for oil as set forth in re-indication 11, wherein the body includes a cover e emobly mounted thereto to cover the cavity.

13. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 9, wherein the body includes passages of refrigerant fluid integrally formed therewith and passing through at least one body portion, the coolant fluid passages have at least one inlet and at least one an outlet, at least one inlet and one outlet formed in the flange flange to provide fluid communication for the engine coolant fluid between the engine and the coolant passages extending through the body.

14. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 9, wherein the collecting passage has an inlet formed in the bottom of the tank and at least one outlet formed in the flange with flanges of the body to provide a fluid communication for the lubricant between the tank. deposit and the engine.

15. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 9, wherein the body includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs formed at the bottom of the reservoir and provided in a separate relation parallel with respect to each other to reinforce the body and to dissipate the heat of the crankcase for oil.

16. Crankcase for oil as set forth in claim 9, wherein the body is made of cast aluminum.