CN102207013B - Oil filtering device and oil sump - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses an oil filter device and an oil pan. The oil filter device (20) includes: an oil receiving part (21) used to accept the return oil returned after circulating in the power unit from below, and an oil circulation pipe for receiving the oil received by the oil receiving part (21) for introduction part (22), and a filter (23) arranged inside the oil flow pipe part (22) and used to filter the oil flowing through the oil flow pipe part (22). On the upstream side of the oil flow pipe part (22) which is closer to the upstream than the filter (23), a position for making the oil flow pipe part (22) is provided at a position below the oil surface in the oil pan main body. ) oil suction pipe (60) for sucking oil. The downstream portion of the oil flow pipe portion (22) is connected to an oil suction portion of the power unit. Therefore, it is possible to increase the temperature rise rate of the oil supplied to the power unit at the time of cold start of the power unit, shorten the warm-up time, and achieve further energy saving.

Description

Oil filter and oil pan

technical field

The present invention relates to an oil filter device and an oil pan including the oil filter device, and the oil filter device is arranged in a power unit configured to circulate oil.

Background technique

Hitherto, power plants such as automobile engines have been configured so that oil circulates inside the power plant. Oil is stored in the oil pan provided at the lower part of the engine. The oil stored in the oil pan is sucked up by the operation of the oil pump, filtered by the oil filter, and then supplied to various parts of the engine (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

The oil pan disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a concave oil pan main body and an oil pan separator arranged inside the oil pan main body. The oil pan partition is used to divide the internal space of the oil pan body into a first chamber in which the oil filter is arranged and a second chamber surrounding the first chamber. The oil (return oil) returned to the oil pan after being circulated in the engine flows into the first chamber.

When the oil temperature is low such as at the time of cold start, the oil in the first chamber is filtered by the oil filter device and then supplied to various parts of the engine. The circulated heated oil is returned to the first chamber, and the heated oil is sucked again to the oil filter unit, and then supplied to various parts of the engine. Therefore, it is possible to speed up the warm-up speed of the engine compared with an oil pan without an oil pan separator.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-189002

Contents of the invention

-Technical problem to be solved by the invention-

However, according to the oil pan in Patent Document 1, the return oil flows into the first chamber and is temporarily stored in the first chamber, then is sucked into the oil filter device, filtered, and then supplied to various parts of the engine. The volume of the first chamber is larger than the internal volume of the oil filter device, and the return oil that has flowed into the first chamber is cooled by mixing with the low-temperature oil stored in the first chamber. Moreover, the oil that has flowed into the first chamber is not all immediately sucked to the oil filter device, but only a part of the oil is immediately sucked to the oil filter device, so the remaining return oil is sucked to the oil filter device before it is sucked to the oil filter device. It will cool down and cool down.

In other words, it is difficult to say that the oil pan in Patent Document 1 can immediately supply heated low-viscosity oil to the engine, and the shortening of the warm-up time is insufficient, which is insufficient from the viewpoint of energy saving.

The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above points. The purpose is to shorten the warm-up time by increasing the temperature rise rate of the oil supplied to the power unit at the time of cold start of the power unit, thereby achieving further energy saving.

-Technical solutions to solve technical problems-

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, after the return oil is received by the oil receiving part, the return oil is made to flow to the oil flow pipe part of the oil filter device as it is, and the filter is used to filter the oil flow pipe part. The filtered oil is then supplied to the power unit.

The invention of claim 1 relates to an invention of an oil filter device that is arranged in an oil pan main body that stores oil circulating in a power plant, and that is configured to The oil in the main body is filtered, and the filtered oil is supplied to the power device, and it is characterized in that: the oil filter device includes an oil receiving part, an oil circulation pipe part and a filter, and the oil receiving part is used for The return oil that has circulated in the power unit is received from below, and the oil that has been received by the oil receiving part is introduced into the oil flow pipe. The filter is arranged inside the oil flow pipe for use to filter the oil flowing through the oil flow pipe part; on the upstream side of the oil flow pipe part that is closer to the upstream than the filter, the oil that has been stored in the oil pan main body An oil suction portion for sucking oil into the oil flow pipe portion is provided at a position near the bottom of the surface; the downstream portion of the oil flow pipe portion is connected to the oil suction portion of the power device.

According to the above structure, the return oil is received by the oil receiving part, and the returned oil received by the oil receiving part flows through the oil flow pipe part, is filtered by the filter, and is then supplied to the power unit. Therefore, at the time of cold start, the low-temperature oil that has been stored in the oil pan main body and the return oil that has been circulated in the power unit and has been heated are not easily mixed. As a result, the return oil whose temperature is suppressed is directly supplied to the power unit through the oil flow pipe. As a result, the heated low-viscosity oil can be immediately supplied to the power unit, and the warm-up time of the power unit can be shortened.

It should be noted that when the oil temperature of the oil pan main body is low, the amount of oil sucked from the oil suction portion of the oil flow pipe portion is small because the viscosity of the oil is high. On the other hand, when the oil temperature of the oil pan main body is high, the viscosity of the oil is low, and the amount of oil sucked from the oil suction portion of the oil flow pipe portion is larger than when it is low temperature.

A second aspect of the invention is the invention of the first aspect, wherein the oil suction portion has an opening having an area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the upstream side of the oil flow pipe portion.

According to the above structure, when the amount of oil required by the power unit is large, the oil stored in the oil pan main body is sucked into the oil flow pipe from the oil suction portion because the negative pressure in the oil flow pipe increases, and is supplied to the oil flow pipe. to the power unit. Therefore, poor lubrication of the power unit is less likely to occur.

On the other hand, when the amount of oil required by the power unit is small, the negative pressure in the oil flow pipe is small. At this time, when the temperature of the oil stored in the oil pan main body is low and the viscosity is high, since the area of the opening of the oil suction part is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the oil flow pipe, the oil already stored in the oil pan The oil in the casing body is less likely to be sucked into the oil flow pipe, and the warm-up time of the power unit can be shortened.

The invention of the third aspect is the invention of the first aspect, characterized in that: the oil flow pipe part is formed by combining the first part and the second part; the oil suction part is formed between the first part and the second part. A gap between the second members; the area of the gap is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the upstream side of the oil flow pipe portion.

According to the above configuration, when the amount of oil required by the power unit is large, the oil stored in the oil pan main body is sucked into the oil flow pipe through the gap between the first member and the second member, and supplied to the power unit. . Therefore, poor lubrication is less likely to occur.

On the other hand, when the amount of oil required by the power unit is small, since the area of the gap between the first member and the second member is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the oil flow pipe, the amount of oil that has been stored in the oil pan main body When the temperature of the oil is low and the viscosity is high, the low-temperature oil is less likely to be sucked into the oil flow pipe, and the warm-up time of the power unit can be shortened.

The fourth aspect of the invention is any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, characterized in that a first communication portion and a second communication portion are formed on the oil receiving portion, and the first communication portion and the second communication portion are connected to each other. The upstream end of the oil flow pipe part communicates, and the second communication part passes through the oil receiving part and communicates with the space below the oil receiving part in the main body of the oil pan, and the The oil part is provided with an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes at least the second communication part; the opening and closing mechanism is configured to open the second communication part when the oil temperature state is above a predetermined temperature.

According to the above configuration, when the return oil temperature reaches a high temperature after the warm-up of the power unit is completed, the second communication portion is opened by the opening and closing mechanism, and the high temperature return oil flows from the oil receiving portion into the lower space of the oil pan body. In this way, since the low-temperature oil stored in the oil pan main body is mixed with the high-temperature return oil, an excessive rise in temperature of the return oil can be suppressed.

The invention of the fifth aspect is the invention of the fourth aspect, characterized in that: the opening and closing mechanism includes a valve member and a driving device, and the valve member opens and closes the first communicating portion and the second communicating portion, The driving device drives the valve part; when the oil temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the driving device causes the valve part to open the first communication part and close the second communication part, on the other hand, The drive device operates the valve member to close the first communication portion and open the second communication portion when the oil temperature state is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.

According to the above configuration, when the oil temperature is low such as during cold start, the first communication portion is opened and the second communication portion is closed, so most of the return oil does not flow into the lower space of the oil pan main body, but flows into the oil. Inside the flow pipe. Therefore, the warm-up time can be shortened.

On the other hand, when the oil temperature is high as after warming up, the first communicating portion is closed and the second communicating portion is opened, so most of the return oil flows into the lower space of the oil pan main body. Therefore, an excessive rise in the temperature of the return oil can be suppressed.

The sixth aspect of the invention is the invention of the fourth aspect, characterized in that: the opening and closing mechanism includes a first valve part, a second valve part and a driving device, and the first valve part opens and closes the first communication part, the second valve part opens and closes the second communication part, and the driving device drives the first valve part and the second valve part; when the oil temperature is lower than the specified temperature, the driving device makes the The first valve member operates to open the first communication portion, and the second valve member operates to close the second communication portion. On the other hand, when the oil temperature state is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, The driving device operates the first valve member to close the first communication portion, and operates the second valve member to open the second communication portion.

According to the above configuration, when the oil temperature is low, the first communication portion is opened and the second communication portion is closed, so most of the return oil does not flow into the lower space of the oil pan main body, but flows into the oil flow pipe portion. On the other hand, when the oil temperature is high, the first communication part is closed and the second communication part is opened, so most of the high-temperature return oil flows into the lower space of the oil pan main body.

Since the first and second communication portions can be opened and closed independently of each other at any time by the first and second valve members, the oil temperature can be precisely managed.

The invention of the seventh aspect is the invention of the fourth aspect, characterized in that: the opening and closing mechanism includes a valve member and a driving device, and the valve member includes a first valve body for opening and closing the first communicating portion and an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the first communicating portion. 1. Close the second valve body of the second communication part, the first valve body and the second valve body are integrated, and the driving device drives the valve part; when the oil temperature is lower than the specified temperature, the The driving device causes the valve member to open the first communication portion with the first valve body and close the second communication portion with the second valve body. When the temperature is higher than the temperature, the drive device operates the valve member to close the first communication portion with the first valve body and open the second communication portion with the second valve body.

As in the fifth aspect of the invention, according to the structure, when the oil temperature is low, the first communicating portion is opened and the second communicating portion is closed, so that most of the return oil does not flow into the lower space of the oil pan main body, but It flows into the oil flow pipe. On the other hand, when the oil temperature is high, the first communication part is closed and the second communication part is opened, so most of the high-temperature return oil flows into the lower space of the oil pan main body.

Since the first and second communicating portions can be opened and closed by an integral valve member, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified.

The invention of the eighth aspect relates to an invention of an oil pan, the oil pan includes an oil pan main body and an oil filter device, the oil pan main body stores the oil circulating in the power unit, and the oil filter The device is arranged in the main body of the oil pan, and is configured to filter the oil stored in the main body of the oil pan, and supply the filtered oil to the power unit, wherein the oil filter The device includes an oil receiving part, an oil circulation pipe part and a filter. The oil receiving part is used to accept the return oil returned after circulating in the power unit from below, and the oil received by the oil receiving part is introduced into the In the oil flow pipe part, the filter is arranged inside the oil flow pipe part to filter the oil flowing through the oil flow pipe part; in the oil flow pipe part, it is closer to the filter On the upstream side of the upstream, an oil suction portion for sucking oil into the oil flow pipe portion is provided at a position below the oil level of the oil stored in the oil pan main body; the oil flow pipe portion of the oil flow pipe portion The downstream portion is connected to an oil suction portion included in the power unit.

-The effect of the invention-

According to the first aspect of the invention, since the return oil received by the oil receiving part flows to the oil flow pipe part, it is filtered by the filter arranged inside the oil flow pipe part, and the filtered oil is supplied to the power supply. device, so the heated return oil can be directly supplied to the power unit. Thereby, the warm-up time of a power plant can be shortened, and energy saving can be achieved.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the oil suction portion having the opening with an area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the oil flow pipe portion is provided on the upstream side of the oil flow pipe portion upstream of the filter, it is possible to prevent the required Lubrication failure occurs when the amount of oil required is large, and the warm-up time can be shortened when the required oil amount is small, and the measures of preventing problems in the power unit and realizing energy saving can be achieved at the same time.

According to the invention of claim 3, since the slit with an area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the oil flow pipe portion is provided on the upstream side of the filter in the oil flow pipe portion, similar to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to achieve Measures to prevent problems in the power plant and realize energy saving are balanced.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the first communication part communicating with the upstream end of the oil flow pipe part and the second communication part communicating with the lower space in the oil pan main body are formed in the oil receiving part, when the oil temperature reaches the specified When the temperature is higher than the second communication part, the temperature of the return oil can be suppressed from excessively rising, and the service life of the oil can be extended.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the valve member is used to open and close the first communicating portion and the second communicating portion, the first communicating portion communicates with the upstream end of the oil flow pipe portion, and the second communicating portion communicates with the oil flow pipe in the oil pan. The lower space is connected, so the flow of oil can be reliably controlled during the cold start of the power unit and at the end of the warm-up. Therefore, while the warm-up time can be shortened, the service life of the oil can be extended.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the first communication portion and the second communication portion are independently opened and closed by the first and second valve members, the first communication portion communicates with the upstream end of the oil flow pipe portion, and the second communication portion communicates with the upstream end of the oil flow pipe portion. Since the communication portion communicates with the lower space in the oil pan, the oil temperature can be precisely managed, and measures to shorten the warm-up time and extend the service life of the oil can be achieved at a high level.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention, since the valve member formed integrally opens and closes the first communicating portion and the second communicating portion, the first communicating portion communicates with the upstream end of the oil flow pipe portion, and the second communicating portion communicates with the oil flow pipe. Since the lower space in the bottom case communicates, a simple structure with a small number of parts can be realized. Thereby, assembly work can be easily performed, and cost can be reduced.

According to the invention of claim 8, as in the invention of claim 1, the warm-up time of the power unit can be shortened by increasing the temperature rise rate of the oil, and energy saving can be achieved.

Description of drawings

[ Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an oil pan according to an embodiment of the present invention seen from above.

[ Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a plan view of an oil filter device.

[ Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a view of the oil filter device seen from the rear side of the vehicle.

[ Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a left side view of the oil filter device.

[ Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a right side view of the oil filter device.

[ Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a sectional view along line VI-VI in Fig. 2 .

[ Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 2 .

[ Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a partially enlarged view seen obliquely from above, showing a portion obtained by cutting the vicinity of the oil flow pipe portion in the vertical direction.

[ Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a lower member in a state where a filter is attached.

[ Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a plan view of a lower member.

[ Fig. 11] Fig. 11 is a right side view of a lower member.

[ Fig. 12] Fig. 12 is a partial sectional view taken along line XII-XII in Fig. 7, showing a state before joining the upper side member and the lower side member.

[ Fig. 13] Fig. 13 is a view corresponding to Fig. 12, showing a state after the upper member and the lower member are joined.

[ Fig. 14] Fig. 14 is a view corresponding to Fig. 8 when the valve member is in a state during normal operation.

[ Fig. 15] Fig. 15 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 7 related to the second embodiment.

[ Fig. 16] Fig. 16 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 7 related to a first modified example of the second embodiment.

[ Fig. 17] Fig. 17 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 7 related to a second modified example of the second embodiment.

[ Fig. 18] Fig. 18 is a perspective view of a cylindrical portion seen from below.

[ Fig. 19] Fig. 19 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 7 related to a third modified example of the second embodiment.

[ Fig. 20] Fig. 20 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 7 related to the third embodiment.

[ Fig. 21] Fig. 21 is a perspective view of a valve member in a third embodiment.

[ Fig. 22] Fig. 22 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7 related to a modified example of the third embodiment.

[ Fig. 23] Fig. 23 is a perspective view of a lower valve member in a third embodiment.

[ Fig. 24] Fig. 24 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 7 related to the fourth embodiment.

Symbol Description

1 Oil pan 10 Oil pan main body

20 Oil filter device 21 Oil bearing part

22 Oil flow pipe 23 Filter

24 Valve parts 24a The first valve body

24b Second valve body 25 Actuator

26 control device

40 Connecting part of upper and lower spaces (second connecting part)

41 Flow pipe connecting part (first connecting part)

101 first valve part

102 Second valve part

103 Upper and lower space communication port (second communication part)

104 Flow pipe communication port (first communication part)

C opening and closing mechanism

E engine (power unit)

P Oil return pipe

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments are merely examples in nature, and are not intended to limit the present invention, the application objects of the present invention, or uses thereof.

(first embodiment)

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an oil pan 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This oil pan 1 is installed in the lower part of the engine E installed in the automobile (the engine E is shown by a two-dot dash line in FIG. oil for storage.

It should be noted that in the description of this embodiment, the front side of the vehicle is referred to as "front"; the rear side of the vehicle is referred to as "rear"; the right side of the vehicle is referred to as "right"; Left".

The oil pan 1 includes an oil pan main body 10 and an oil filter device 20 . As also shown in FIG. 3 , the oil pan main body 10 has a concave shape open upward, and is formed by molding a resin material. The oil pan main body 10 has a shape that is long in the crankshaft direction of the engine E. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1 , on the upper end of the oil pan main body 10 , a plurality of fasteners for fastening penetrating the oil pan main body 10 in the vertical direction are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the upper end opening of the oil pan main body 10 . Holes 11, 11, . . . Bolts (not shown) fastened to screw holes formed in the cylinder block of the engine E are inserted through the respective fastening holes 11 . Also, in the side wall portion of the oil pan main body 10, fastening holes 12, 12, ... are formed at intervals from each other, and are fastened to screw holes formed in a vehicle transmission (not shown). Bolts are inserted through the holes 12, 12, . . . for fastening.

A plurality of protrusions (not shown) for fixing the oil filter device 20 are provided inside the oil pan main body 10 . Fastening members such as screws or bolts are fastened to the respective protrusions.

Also, the oil return pipe P (the oil return pipe P is shown by a two-dot chain line in FIGS. 1 and 2 ) from which the oil return of the engine E is discharged is located directly above the right rear portion of the oil pan main body 10 . It should be noted that most of the return oil flows into the oil pan main body 10 from the oil return pipe P, and the remaining return oil (a small amount) drips from various parts of the lower surface of the cylinder block.

Also, although not shown, an oil pump is provided in the engine E. As shown in FIG. The oil pump uses the power of the engine E to work. An oil suction pipe of the oil pump (the oil suction pipe is shown by symbol I in FIG. 3 ) is located directly above the left rear portion of the oil pan main body 10 . Oil filter device 20 is connected with this oil suction pipe 1.

The oil filter device 20 is configured to filter oil (return oil) returned to the oil pan main body 10 after circulating in the engine E, and to supply the filtered oil to the engine E again. The oil filter device 20 includes an oil receiving portion 21, an oil flow pipe portion 22 (the oil flow pipe portion 22 is shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 ), a filter 23 (the filter is shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 ). 23), valve member 24, actuator 25 (the actuator 25 is shown in Fig. 1) and control device 26, the oil receiving part 21 accepts the oil return, and the oil return oil received by the oil receiving part 21 is introduced into the In the oil flow pipe part 22, the filter 23 is arranged inside the oil flow pipe part 22, and is used to filter the oil flowing through the oil flow pipe part 22, and the valve part 24 is used to control the flow of the return oil. The actuator 25 drives the valve member 24 and the control device 26 is used to control the actuator 25 .

The oil receiving portion 21 is arranged inside the oil pan main body 10 and is formed in a plate shape long in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the oil pan main body 10 . As shown in FIG. 6 , the oil flow pipe portion 22 has a shape protruding downward from the left side of the oil receiving portion 21 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the peripheral portion of the oil receiving portion 21 is located near the upper edge of the oil pan main body 10 and at a position close to the inner peripheral surface of the oil pan main body 10 . Therefore, the wide range of the lower surface of the cylinder block can be covered with the oil receiving portion 21, and not only the return oil sprayed from the oil return pipe P can be received by the oil receiving portion 21, but also the oil from the lower surface of the cylinder block can be received by the oil receiving portion 21. Return oil dripping from various parts.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the oil receiving portion 21 is formed in a curved shape, and the oil receiving portion 21 is positioned downward as it approaches the central portion from the peripheral portion to the central portion. As shown in FIG. 2 , fastening holes 30 , 30 , . Each fastening hole 30 is located at a position corresponding to the protrusion of the oil pan main body 10 . The oil receiving portion 21 is fastened to the oil pan main body 10 by fastening the fastening member inserted through the fastening hole 30 to the boss.

It should be noted that other than the fastening structure using fastening members, a structure using a fixing method such as welding or adhesion may also be adopted as the structure for fixing the oil receiving portion 21 to the oil pan main body 10 . In addition, the oil receiving part 21 may also be fixed on the engine E. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a shallow recess 31 is formed on the upper surface of the oil receiving portion 21 . The concave portion 31 is in the shape of a groove extending substantially straight from the vicinity of the right edge of the oil receiving portion 21 to the left, and is located near the center in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 7 , the bottom surface of the concave portion 31 descends obliquely to the left. The oil dripped from the lower surface of the cylinder block collects in the concave portion 31 and flows to the left side of the oil receiving portion 21 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , a guide plate 32 is provided on the rear side of the oil receiving portion 21 than the concave portion 31 for guiding the return oil sprayed from the oil return pipe P to the left. The guide plate 32 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the oil receiving portion 21 and is bent in a U-shape opening to the left in plan view, as shown in FIG. 2 . The downstream end of the oil return pipe P is located inside the guide plate 32 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the height of the guide plate 32 becomes lower as it is closer to the left side. Therefore, the return oil is sprayed from the oil return pipe P to the inside of the guide plate 32, and the guide plate 32 prevents the return oil from flowing to the right, front and rear sides of the oil receiving portion 21, and guides the return oil to the left.

The part surrounded by the guide plate 32 on the upper surface of the oil receiving part 21 is constituted by a curved curved surface 33 , and the part on the right side of the curved surface 33 is positioned upward. The right portion of the curved surface 33 is close to the downstream end of the oil return pipe P. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the oil sprayed from the oil return pipe P can be received by the curved surface 33 at a position close to the downstream end of the oil return pipe P. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the flow of the return oil is less likely to be disturbed, and the amount of air bubbles mixed into the return oil is reduced.

An opening 36 penetrating through the oil receiving portion 21 is formed in the oil receiving portion 21 . The opening 36 is located on the left side of the central portion of the oil receiving portion 21 in the left-right direction, and has a substantially rectangular opening. The portion of the oil receiving portion 21 where the opening 36 is formed is recessed downward from the upper surface of the oil receiving portion 21 . The right side of the opening 36 is connected to the left side of the recess 31 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , the opening area on the right side of the opening portion 36 constitutes an up-and-down space communication portion (second communication portion) 40 that makes the oil pan main body 10 closer to the upper side than the oil receiving portion 21 . The space R1 on the side communicates with the space R2 on the lower side than the oil receiving portion 21 . On the other hand, the opening area on the left side of the opening portion 36 constitutes a flow pipe communication portion (first communication portion) 41 that communicates with the upstream end of the oil flow pipe portion 22 .

A protruding plate portion 42 protruding downward and extending in the circumferential direction is formed around the vertical space communication portion 40 on the lower surface of the oil receiving portion 21 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the left edge of the protruding plate portion 42 is connected to the peripheral wall portion of the oil flow pipe portion 22 , and the protruding amount is larger toward the left side of the protruding plate portion 42 .

The oil flow pipe portion 22 includes an inflow pipe portion 51 (see FIG. 7 ), a filter housing portion 52 and an outflow pipe portion 53 (see FIG. 6 ). Return oil flows into the inflow pipe portion 51 , and the filter housing portion 52 The filter 23 is accommodated, and the return oil filtered by the filter 23 circulates in the outflow pipe part 53 .

The inflow pipe portion 51 constitutes an upstream portion of the oil flow pipe portion 22 . The inflow pipe portion 51 is formed in a substantially prismatic cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The upper end of the peripheral wall portion of the inflow pipe portion 51 is connected to the peripheral portion of the flow pipe communication portion 41 on the lower surface of the oil receiving portion 21 . Therefore, the upper end (the upstream end where the oil flows) of the inflow pipe portion 51 communicates with the space R1 on the upper side than the oil receiving portion 21 via the flow pipe communication portion 41 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the dimension in the left-right direction of the inflow pipe portion 51 is set to be shorter than the dimension in the front-rear direction in accordance with the shape of the flow-pipe communication portion 41 . The cross-sectional area of the inflow pipe portion 51 is set to be substantially equal to or larger than the cross-sectional area of the flow pipe communication portion 41 . In addition, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , a cutout portion 55 is formed on the upper portion of the right wall portion of the inflow pipe portion 51 . The cutout portion 55 is connected to the upper and lower space communication portion 40 and together with the upper and lower space communication portion 40 forms an opening.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the filter housing portion 52 is provided at the lower end portion of the inflow pipe portion 51 , and the entire filter housing portion 52 has a box shape long in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , the filter 23 accommodated in the filter accommodating portion 52 is formed in a plate shape, and is fixed in a state extending substantially horizontally in the filter accommodating portion 52 . As shown in FIG. 9 , the filter 23 includes a net portion 23 a long in the front-back direction as a whole, and a frame portion 23 b integrally formed around the net portion 23 a with the net portion 23 a. The net portion 23a and the frame portion 23b are integrally formed of a resin material. The front side of the net part 23a is elongated shape extended in the front-back direction, and the back side is formed in the shape with a large width longer than the front side in the left-right direction. In addition, ribs (not shown) for reinforcement are provided on the mesh portion 23a.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , an oil suction pipe (oil suction portion) 60 is provided on the filter housing portion 52 . The oil suction pipe 60 constitutes a passage for sucking the oil stored in the space R2 below the oil receiving portion 21 of the oil pan main body 10 to the filter accommodating portion 52 . Therefore, the filter housing part 52 communicates with the inflow pipe part 51 and the oil suction pipe 60, and the return oil flows into the filter housing part 52 from the inflow pipe part 51; inside the container housing 52.

The oil suction pipe 60 protrudes rightward from the right side wall of the filter housing portion 52 . The upstream end opening 60a of the oil suction pipe 60 is located near the center of the oil pan main body 10 in the left-right direction, and is closer to the lower side than the oil level L0 when the engine is stopped and closer to the oil level Lm when the engine is running. lower position. When the vehicle turns, the oil level Lm is inclined as indicated by symbols L1 and L2, but regardless of whether the oil level is L1 or L2, the oil depth in the center of the oil pan main body 10 in the left and right direction can be ensured to be above a predetermined value. That is, since the upstream end opening 60a of the oil suction pipe 60 is positioned close to the center of the oil pan main body 10 in the left-right direction, even when the vehicle is turning or the like, the oil surface Lm is inclined by centrifugal force to become L1 or L2. Even in the state shown, the upstream end opening 60a of the oil suction pipe 60 can be positioned below the oil surfaces L1, L2, and the oil filter device 20 can be prevented from sucking in air.

The cross section of the oil suction pipe 60 has a substantially rectangular shape whose dimension in the vertical direction is longer than the dimension in the front-rear direction. The closer to the upstream opening 60a, the smaller the cross-sectional area of the oil suction pipe 60 is. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the narrowest part of the oil suction pipe 60 is set to be substantially equal to or larger than the cross-sectional area of the outlet pipe portion 53 described later.

As shown in FIG. 8 and the like, the filter housing portion 52 is configured by combining an upper member (first member) 58 and a lower member (second member) 59 . The dividing surfaces of the upper member 58 and the lower member 59 are surfaces extending substantially horizontally near the upper portion of the filter housing portion 52 . The upper side member 58 includes a plate-shaped portion constituting an upper wall portion of the filter housing portion 52 integrally formed with the inflow pipe portion 51 . Further, an extension plate portion 61 constituting an upper wall portion of the oil suction pipe 60 is formed on the upper side member 58 . On the other hand, the lower member 59 is a member having a concave shape constituting the bottom wall portion and the peripheral wall portion of the filter housing portion 52 .

An upper welding protrusion 62 welded to the lower member 59 is formed on the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the upper member 58 except for the downstream end opening 60 a of the oil suction pipe 60 . Further, a peripheral wall portion 63 surrounding the upper welding protrusion 62 is formed outside the upper welding protrusion 62 on the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the upper member 58 .

Further, on the lower surface of the upper member 58 , a stepped portion 64 into which the frame portion 23 b of the filter 23 is fitted is formed inside the upper welding protrusion 62 .

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12 , on the lower surface of the upper member 58 , an upper first plate portion 65 and an upper second plate are sequentially formed from the front side to the rear side in the vicinity of the base end portion of the extension plate portion 61 . portion 66 and the upper third plate portion 67. The upper first to third plate portions 65 to 67 are substantially parallel to the center line of the oil suction pipe 60 and extend downward. The plate thicknesses of the upper first to third plate portions 65 to 67 are set to become thinner toward the lower side. In addition, the widths of the upper first to third plate portions 65 to 67 are set to become narrower toward the lower portion (the dimension in the direction of the center line of the oil suction pipe 60 ).

On the other hand, the upper part of the lower member 59 is closed by the upper member 58 . As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , a lower welding protrusion 69 is formed on the peripheral portion of the upper end of the lower member 59 corresponding to the upper welding protrusion 62 . As shown in FIG. 8 , the upper and lower welding protrusions 62 and 69 are welded by a known vibration welding method, and the upper member 58 and the lower member 59 are integrated. In this state, the portion between the upper member 58 and the lower member 59 other than the oil suction pipe 60 is sealed. When welding the upper member 58 and the lower member 59 , the upper member 58 is fixed and the lower member 59 is vibrated in the left-right direction of the lower member 59 .

It should be noted that the upper member 58 and the lower member 59 may be welded by a welding method other than the vibration welding method, or the upper member 58 and the lower member 59 may be bonded with an adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 10 , a first narrowing plate 71 and a second narrowing plate 72 are provided inside the lower member 59 to form a narrow portion in the inner passage of the filter housing portion 52 . The first reduced-width plate 71 extends upward from the bottom wall of the lower member 59 and extends rearward from the front wall inner surface of the filter accommodating portion 52 . The second reduced width plate 72 extends upward from the bottom wall of the lower member 59 , extends leftward from the inner surface of the right wall of the filter accommodating portion 52 , and bends substantially vertically to extend forward. The rear edge portion of the first narrowing plate 71 and the front edge portion of the second narrowing plate 72 face in the front-rear direction, and oil flows between these edge portions. The cross-sectional area of the oil passage between the rear edge portion of the first width reducing plate 71 and the front edge portion of the second width reducing plate 72 is set to be substantially equal to or larger than the cross-sectional area of the outlet pipe portion 53 .

The lower welding protrusions 69 are also provided on the upper edge portions of the first and second narrowing plates 71 and 72 .

The lower welding protrusions 69 of the first and second narrowing plates 71 and 72 are also welded to the upper welding protrusions 62 of the upper member 58 .

A cross-sectional structure of the second width reducing plate 72 is shown in FIG. 8 . The insides of the first and second width reducing plates 71, 72 are hollow. Since the first and second width reducing plates 71 and 72 are connected to the bottom wall and the peripheral wall of the lower member 59, the first and second width reducing plates 71 and 72 function as ribs of the lower member 59. , which contributes to improving the rigidity of the lower part 59. Furthermore, the first and second width reduction plates 71 and 72 are welded to the upper member 58, thereby improving the welding strength between the upper member 58 and the lower member 59 and improving the filter housing portion 52. overall rigidity. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8 , the upper parts of the first and second narrowing plates 71 and 72 contact the frame part 23 b of the filter 23 from below to support the filter 23 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , in the vicinity of the proximal end of the oil suction pipe 60 on the bottom wall of the lower member 59, a lower first plate portion 81, a lower second plate portion 82, and a lower second plate portion 82 are sequentially formed from the front side to the rear side. The third plate portion 83 and the lower fourth plate portion 84 . The lower first to fourth plate portions 81 to 84 are substantially parallel to the center line of the oil suction pipe 60 and extend upward. The plate thicknesses of the lower first to fourth plate portions 81 to 84 are set to become thinner toward the upper side. In addition, the lower first to fourth plate portions 81 to 84 are set to have narrower widths (dimensions in the direction of the center line of the oil suction pipe 60 ) toward the upper side.

The lower first plate portion 81 is integrated with the side surface of the oil suction pipe 60 ; the lower fourth plate portion 84 is also integrated with the side surface of the oil suction pipe 60 . Therefore, oil does not flow between the lower first plate portion 81 and the side surface of the oil suction pipe 60 ; oil does not flow between the lower fourth plate portion 84 and the side surface of the oil suction pipe 60 .

As shown in Figure 13, after the upper part 58 and the lower part 59 are integrated, the upper first plate part 65 is inserted between the lower first plate part 81 and the lower second plate part 82; The second plate portion 66 is inserted between the second lower plate portion 82 and the third lower plate portion 83 ; the third upper plate portion 67 is inserted between the third lower plate portion 83 and the fourth lower plate portion 84 .

A gap S1 is formed between the upper first plate portion 65 and the lower first plate portion 81 and the lower second plate portion 82 . Also, a gap S2 is formed between the upper second plate portion 66 and the lower second plate portion 82 and the lower third plate portion 83; A slit S3 is formed between the lower fourth plate portions 84 . The total opening area of these slits S1 to S3 is set to be approximately equal to or larger than the cross-sectional area of the narrowest part of the oil suction pipe 60 . However, the total opening area of the slits S1 to S3 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the inflow pipe portion 51 .

That is, the upper first to third plate portions 65 to 67 and the lower first to fourth plate portions 81 to 84 constitute a resistance mechanism that generates flow resistance to the oil sucked in from the oil suction pipe 60 . By adjusting the size of the slits S1-S3 between the first to third plate portions 65-67 on the upper side and the first to fourth plate portions 81-84 on the lower side, the amount of resistance generated by the resistance mechanism can be arbitrarily changed. size. In addition, if the widths of the first to third plate portions 65 to 67 on the upper side and the first to fourth plate portions 81 to 84 on the lower side are increased, the resistance is increased; Small. Therefore, by adjusting the width, the magnitude of the resistance can also be changed arbitrarily. Moreover, if the protrusions of the first to third plate portions 65 to 67 on the upper side and the first to fourth plate portions 81 to 84 on the lower side are increased, the resistance will be increased; if the protrusions are decreased, the resistance will be increased. Small. Therefore, by adjusting the amount of protrusion, it is also possible to arbitrarily change the magnitude of the resistance.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the outflow pipe portion 53 extends upward from the upper wall portion of the filter housing portion 52 , penetrates the oil receiving portion 21 , and protrudes upward from the upper surface of the oil receiving portion 21 . That is, the passage in the oil flow pipe part 22 is formed by the inlet pipe part 51, the filter housing part 52, and the outlet pipe part 53, and extends in a substantially U-shape.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the upstream end of the outflow pipe portion 53 , that is, the base end portion (lower end portion) is located on the rear side of the inflow pipe portion 51 and away from the inflow pipe portion 51 . The cross section of the outflow pipe part 53 is substantially circular, and the cross sectional area is smaller than the cross sectional area of the inflow pipe part 51 .

Also, the peripheral wall portion of the outflow pipe portion 53 and the peripheral wall portion of the inflow pipe portion 51 are connected together by a connecting plate portion 54 . The connecting plate portion 54 is integrally formed with the peripheral wall portion of the outflow pipe portion 53 and the peripheral wall portion of the inflow pipe portion 51 . Thereby, the outflow pipe part 53 and the inflow pipe part 51 are integrated, and rigidity improves.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the valve member 24 is arranged in the opening 36 . The purpose of using the valve member 24 is to use the valve member 24 to make the return oil flow to the oil flow pipe part 22 when the oil temperature is low in the case of warm-up operation such as during a cold start; When the height is higher, the valve member 24 causes the return oil to flow to the space R2 of the oil pan main body 10 that is lower than the oil receiving portion 21 .

The valve part 24 is a so-called butterfly valve type valve part, including a first valve body 24a, a second valve body 24b and a rotating shaft 24c, and the first valve body 24a is used to open and close the flow pipe communication part 41 of the oil receiving part 21, The second valve body 24 b is used to open and close the upper and lower space communication part 40 of the oil receiving part 21 . The first and second valve bodies 24a, 24b are integrally formed of a resin material. The first valve body 24a of the valve member 24 has a substantially rectangular plate shape formed along the periphery of the flow pipe communicating portion 41 ; The shapes of the first valve body 24a and the second valve body 24b are substantially the same. When viewed from the direction in which the rotating shaft 2c extends as shown in FIG. The angle of the sides is less than 180°. Furthermore, a rib 24e extending to connect the first valve body 24a and the second valve body 24b is formed in the valve member 24 .

The rotation shaft 24c is provided between the first valve body 24a and the second valve body 24b. The rotation shaft 24c is also integrally formed with the first valve body 24a and the second valve body 24b. The rotating shaft 24c is a hollow shaft open to both ends. A drive shaft 80 for driving the valve member 24 is inserted through the inside of the rotary shaft 24c.

The valve member 24 is attached to the oil receiving portion 21 in a state where both sides in the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft 24c are rotatably supported by the oil receiving portion 21 . That is, bearing holes 42 a extending substantially horizontally in the front-rear direction are respectively formed on both front and rear sides of the protruding plate portion 42 of the oil receiving portion 21 (see FIG. 8 ). The rotating shaft 24c is inserted through the bearing hole 42a. The drive shaft 80 inserted through the rotation shaft 24 c penetrates the protruding plate portion 42 , penetrates the rear wall portion of the oil pan main body 10 , and protrudes toward the rear side of the oil pan main body 10 .

The valve member 24 is rotated around the rotation shaft 24c to change the state of the valve member 24 . As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , after the second valve body 24 b is rotated to a position substantially flush with the bottom surface of the recess 31 of the oil receiving portion 21 , the valve member 24 becomes a position where the first valve body 24 a is located in the communication portion 41 of the flow pipe. The flow pipe communicating portion 41 is opened downward, and the second valve body 24b closes the upper and lower space communicating portion 40 (state during warm-up operation). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14, after the first valve body 24a is rotated to a position substantially flush with the peripheral portion of the flow pipe communication portion 41 of the oil receiving portion 21, the valve member 24 becomes the first valve body 24a to close the flow. The pipe communicating portion 41 and the second valve body 24b are located below the vertical space communicating portion 40 and the vertical space communicating portion 40 is opened (state during normal operation).

As shown in FIG. 8 , when the valve member 24 is in the warm-up state, the upper cutout portion 55 of the inflow pipe portion 51 is closed by the first valve body 24 a. At this time, since the second valve body 24b is connected to the bottom surface of the recessed portion 31, and the first valve body 24a and the second valve body 24b are also connected to each other, a portion through which oil can flow is formed from the recessed portion 31 to the first valve body via the second valve body 24b. Body 24a.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14 , when the valve member 24 is in a state during normal operation, the second plate portion 24 b is located at a position covering the notch portion 55 from the right side. Therefore, the return oil from the oil receiving portion 21 is less likely to flow into the oil flow pipe portion 22 from the notch portion 55 .

In addition, the valve member 24 can be stopped at any position within the rotation range between the state during warm-up operation and the state during normal operation. Therefore, it is also possible to open the flow pipe communicating portion 41 approximately halfway, and to open the vertical space communicating portion 40 approximately halfway.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the actuator 25 is arranged outside the oil pan main body 10 . The output shaft of the actuator 25 is coupled to the drive shaft 80 , and the output of the actuator 25 is transmitted to the valve member 24 . The type of the actuator 25 is not particularly limited, and may be an electric actuator, or an actuator utilizing the negative pressure of the intake system of the engine E.

The control device 26 is connected to the actuator 25 . Further, a temperature sensor 81 for detecting the oil temperature state in the oil pan main body 10 is connected to the control device 26 . The control device 26 is configured to control the actuator 25 based on the output signal of the temperature sensor 81 . That is, when the temperature sensor 81 detects that the oil temperature is, for example, 10° C. or lower, the control device 26 judges that the engine E is started cold, and outputs a control signal to the actuator 25 to make the valve member 24 warm. state of the machine during operation. On the other hand, when the temperature sensor 81 detects that the oil temperature is, for example, 50° C. or higher, the control device 26 judges that the engine E is in a normal operating state, and outputs a control signal to the actuator 25 so that the valve member 24 becomes The state during normal operation. The specific value of the above-mentioned temperature is only an example, and the temperature value is not limited to the above-mentioned value, as long as the temperature value is a value that can distinguish between a state where the engine needs to be warmed up at the time of cold start, and other states where normal operation is performed. That's it.

It should be noted that the control device 26 may not directly detect the oil temperature, but may estimate the oil temperature state based on, for example, the water temperature or the temperature of the outside air. In addition, the oil temperature state can also be estimated from the operating time of the engine E and the like. Furthermore, it is also possible to control the actuator 25 based on various kinds of information among these pieces of information. The valve member 24, the actuator 25, and the control device 26 constitute an opening and closing mechanism C. As shown in FIG.

Next, the role played by the oil pan 1 configured as described above will be described. When the engine E is cold-started and the warm-up operation is performed, the control device 26 controls the actuator 25 so that the state of the valve member 24 becomes the state during the warm-up operation (the warm-up operation is shown in FIG. 8 ). status at the time). When the engine E is running, negative pressure acts on the inside of the oil flow pipe portion 22 due to the operation of the oil pump.

Then, the return oil is ejected from the oil return pipe P of the engine E. The return oil discharged from the oil return pipe P flows into the guide plate 32 and is guided by the guide plate 32 to the left side, that is, to the opening 36 side. In addition, the oil that has dripped from the lower surface of the cylinder block is received by each part of the oil receiving portion 21 and then flows into the recessed portion 31 . The oil in the concave portion 31 flows toward the opening portion 36 side.

At this time, since the upper and lower space communicating portion 40 is closed by the second valve body 24b, the notch portion 55 is closed by the first valve body 24a and the flow pipe communicating portion 41 is opened, the return oil which has been circulated in the engine E and has been warmed up from the The flow pipe communicating portion 41 flows into the inflow pipe portion 51 of the oil flow pipe portion 22 and then flows downward. The oil that has flowed through the inflow pipe portion 51 flows into the filter accommodating portion 52 , flows between the first and second width reducing plates 71 , 72 , and then changes the flow direction upward to pass through the filter 23 . In this way, the oil is filtered.

Then, the oil filtered by the filter 23 flows into the engine E through the outflow pipe portion 53 .

That is, during warm-up operation, the return oil received by the oil receiving portion 21 is filtered by the filter 23 while flowing through the oil flow pipe portion 22 , and then supplied to the engine E. Therefore, the low-temperature oil that has been stored in the oil pan main body 10 and the return oil that has circulated in the engine E and has been heated up are less likely to mix. As a result, the return oil whose temperature drop is suppressed is directly supplied to the engine E through the oil flow pipe portion 22 . Thereby, the low-viscosity oil can be supplied to the engine E immediately, and the warm-up time of the engine E can be shortened.

Also, during warm-up operation, since the temperature of the oil in the oil pan main body 10 is low, the viscosity of the oil is high. Therefore, the amount of oil sucked from the oil suction pipe 60 of the oil flow pipe portion 22 is small. Moreover, since the upper first to third plate portions 65 to 67 and the lower first to fourth plate portions 81 to 84 are arranged inside the oil suction pipe 60, the flow resistance to the oil in the oil suction pipe 60 increases. This is also a factor that suppresses the flow of low-temperature oil into the oil flow pipe portion 22 .

During warm-up operation, for example, when the rotation speed of the engine E rises higher than the rotation speed of the idling operation, and the required amount of oil increases, the negative pressure in the oil flow pipe portion 22 increases. After the negative pressure in the oil flow pipe portion 22 increases, the oil stored in the lower space R2 is sucked into the oil flow pipe portion 22 from the oil suction pipe 60 . In this way, poor lubrication due to insufficient oil supply can be avoided.

On the other hand, after the oil temperature rises and the warm-up operation ends, the control device 26 controls the actuator 25, and the state of the valve member 24 becomes the state during normal operation (the state during normal operation is shown in FIG. 14 ). In this way, the upper and lower space communication portion 40 is opened, so that the return oil flows through the oil receiving portion 21, and then flows through the upper and lower space communication portion 40 to flow into the lower space R2.

Furthermore, the return oil dripped to the left side of the oil receiving portion 21 flows through the surface of the first valve body 24a and the surface of the second valve body 24b of the valve member 24, and then flows into the lower space R2. That is, the first valve body 24a and the second valve body 24b constitute guide surfaces for guiding oil.

The return oil that has flowed into the lower space R2 is mixed with the oil that has been stored in the lower space R2. Then, the temperature of the oil in the lower space R2 rises, and the viscosity of the oil drops. Since the oil whose viscosity has been reduced easily flows through the oil suction pipe 60, a sufficient amount of oil can be guided to the oil flow pipe portion 22, and even a large amount of oil demand can be met. In addition, since the return oil flows into the lower space R2, an excessive increase in the temperature of the return oil can be suppressed.

It should be noted that since the valve member 24 can be stopped between the state during warm-up operation and the state during normal operation, by adjusting the stop position of the valve member 24, the upper and lower space communication portion 40 and the flow pipe communication portion 41 can be changed. of the opening. Therefore, a part of the return oil can be made to flow to the flow pipe communicating portion 41, and the remaining part can flow to the upper and lower space communicating portion 40, and the return oil flowing into the flow pipe communicating portion 41 and the return oil flowing into the upper and lower space communicating portion 40 can be changed. oil ratio. Thereby, oil temperature can be precisely managed.

As described above, according to the present first embodiment, since the oil received by the oil receiving part 21 flows to the oil flow pipe part 22, and the oil is filtered by the filter 23 arranged inside the oil flow pipe part 22, And since the filtered oil is supplied to the engine E, it is possible to supply the heated return oil to the engine E directly. Thereby, the temperature rise speed of the oil can be accelerated, the warm-up time of the engine E can be shortened, and energy saving can be realized.

In addition, since the oil suction pipe 60 is provided on the upstream side of the oil flow pipe portion 22 further upstream than the filter 23, it is possible to prevent the engine E from having poor lubrication when the amount of oil required is large. Furthermore, since the slits S1 to S3 having an area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the inflow pipe portion 51 are provided in the oil suction pipe 60, the suction amount of low-temperature oil can be reduced when the required amount of oil is small, thereby shortening the warm-up time. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both the prevention of problems in the engine E and the realization of energy saving.

Furthermore, since the valve member 24 formed integrally opens and closes the upper and lower space communication portion 40 and the flow pipe communication portion 41, a simple structure with a small number of parts can be realized. Thereby, assembly work can be easily performed, and cost can be reduced.

(second embodiment)

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a part of the oil pan 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The oil pan 1 in the second embodiment differs from the oil pan 1 in the first embodiment only in the structure of the oil flow pipe portion 22 of the oil filter device 20 , while other parts are the same. Therefore, parts different from those of the first embodiment will be described in detail below.

In the second embodiment, the filter 90 is housed in the outflow pipe portion 53 of the oil flow pipe portion 22 . The filter 90 includes a net portion 90a extending substantially vertically, an upper fixing portion 90b provided at the upper end of the net portion 90a, and a lower fixing portion 90c provided at the lower end of the net portion 90a. The mesh portion 90 a is disposed inside the outflow pipe portion 53 so as to intersect the axis of the outflow pipe portion 53 . The entire amount of oil flowing through the outflow pipe portion 53 passes through the mesh portion 90a. The upper and lower fixing parts 90 b and 90 c are formed in an annular shape extending along the inner peripheral surface of the outflow pipe part 53 . Inside the outflow pipe portion 53 are formed an upper contact portion 53a that contacts the upper fixing portion 90b from above and a lower contact portion 53b that contacts the upper fixing portion 90b from below. It abuts against the lower fixing portion 90c. The position of the filter 90 is determined by these contact parts 53a, 53b.

It should be noted that the fixing structure of the filter 90 is not limited to the above-mentioned structure, and may be fixed by means of adhesion or the like.

In addition, an oil suction port (opening) 91 is formed in a wall portion (bottom wall portion) of the lower end portion of the oil flow pipe portion 22 at a portion spaced from directly below the filter 90 . The opening area of the oil suction port 91 is set to be smaller than the cross-sectional area of the inlet pipe portion 51 of the oil flow pipe portion 22 and substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of the outlet pipe portion 53 . The oil suction port 91 can be constituted by, for example, a slit or the like. In addition, the oil suction port 91 functions as a discharge port for discharging the oil in the oil flow pipe portion 22 when the oil is replaced.

Next, the role played by the oil pan 1 configured as described above will be described. When the engine E is warming up, the state of the valve member 24 becomes the state during the warming up (the figure shows the state during the warming up), and the return oil flows into the inflow pipe portion 51 of the oil flow pipe portion 22 . Instead, it flows downward, and then changes the flow direction to upward to flow through the outflow pipe portion 53 . The oil flowing through the outflow pipe portion 53 is filtered by the filter 90 and sucked into the engine E again.

Also, during warm-up operation, since the oil temperature in the lower space R2 of the oil pan main body 10 is low and the viscosity of the oil is high, the amount of oil sucked from the oil suction port 91 of the oil flow pipe portion 22 is small. Furthermore, the opening area of the oil suction port 91 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the oil flow pipe portion 22 , which also reduces the amount of oil in the lower space R2 sucked into the oil flow pipe portion 22 .

During warm-up operation, for example, when the oil requirement of the engine E increases, the oil stored in the lower space R2 is sucked into the oil flow pipe from the oil suction port 91 because the negative pressure in the oil flow pipe portion 22 increases. Section 22. In this way, poor lubrication due to insufficient oil supply can be avoided.

On the other hand, after the oil temperature rises and the warm-up operation ends, although not shown, the state of the valve member 24 becomes the state during normal operation. In this way, the upper and lower space communication portion 40 is opened, so that the return oil flows through the oil receiving portion 21, and then flows through the upper and lower space communication portion 40 to flow into the lower space R2.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, since the return oil received by the oil receiving part 21 flows to the oil flow pipe part 22, the filter disposed inside the oil flow pipe part 22 Since the return oil is filtered by the filter 90 and the filtered oil is supplied to the engine E, the heated return oil can be directly supplied to the engine E. Thereby, the temperature rise speed of the oil can be accelerated, the warm-up time of the engine E can be shortened, and energy saving can be realized.

Further, an oil suction port 91 having an opening area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the oil flow pipe portion 22 is formed on the upstream side of the filter 90 in the oil flow pipe portion 22 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent poor lubrication of the engine E when the required amount of oil is large, shorten the warm-up time when the required amount of oil is small, and achieve both prevention of problems in the engine E and energy saving.

Also, since the filter 90 is accommodated in the outflow pipe portion 53, the oil flow pipe portion 22 can be made smaller than in the case of the first embodiment.

It should be noted that the oil suction port 91 may be formed only in the side wall portion of the oil flow pipe portion 22 ; or the oil suction port 91 may be formed in the bottom wall portion and the side wall portion of the oil flow pipe portion 22 . In addition, the shape of the oil suction port 91 may also be circular. Furthermore, the number of oil suction ports 91 may be one, or three or more.

In addition, as in the first modified example shown in FIG. 16 , a wall portion 92 protruding outward (downward) from the oil flow pipe portion 22 may be provided on the peripheral portion of the oil suction port 91 . The wall portion 92 serves to increase flow resistance when oil flows into the oil suction port 91 . In this way, the amount of oil in the lower space R2 flowing into the oil flow pipe portion 22 can be reduced during the warm-up operation, and the warm-up time can be shortened.

Also, as in the second modified example shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 , a bottomed cylindrical portion 93 protruding outward (downward) from the oil flow pipe portion 22 may be provided on the peripheral portion of the oil suction port 91 . The cylindrical portion 93 serves to increase flow resistance when oil flows into the oil suction port 91 . As enlargedly shown in FIG. 18 , slits 93 a , 93 a , . Within 93. Also according to the second modified example, the amount of oil in the lower space R2 flowing into the oil flow pipe portion 22 during the warm-up operation can be reduced, and the warm-up time can be shortened. In addition, the cylindrical part 93 may be provided in the position separated from the directly below the filter 90. As shown in FIG. In addition, the installation number of the cylindrical part 93 may be plural. In addition, the cylindrical portion 93 also functions as a discharge port when oil is replaced.

In addition, as in the third modified example shown in FIG. 19 , the lower end portion of the oil flow pipe portion 22 may be opened. The lower end of the oil flow pipe 22 is close to the bottom wall of the oil pan main body 10 , and a narrow gap is formed between the lower end of the oil flow pipe 22 and the bottom wall of the oil pan main body 10 . Further, notches 94 , 94 , .

In addition, a plurality of protruding walls 95 , 95 are formed on the bottom wall of the oil pan main body 10 , protruding upward and surrounding a part of the lower end of the oil flow pipe 22 . The protruding walls 95 , 95 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the oil flow pipe portion 22 . The protruding wall 95 and the oil flow pipe portion 22 are close to each other. The oil in the lower space R2 flows between the protruding walls 95 , 95 and is sucked into the oil flow pipe 22 from the gap between the lower end of the oil flow pipe 22 and the bottom wall of the oil pan main body 10 . By changing the distance between the protruding wall 95 and the oil flow pipe portion 22, or changing the distance between the lower end portion of the oil flow pipe portion 22 and the bottom wall portion of the oil pan main body 10, the flow of oil into the oil flow pipe portion can be controlled. 22 to adjust the inflow.

Also, the protruding wall 95 is integrally formed with the oil pan main body 10, but it is not limited thereto. It is also possible to use a component different from the oil pan main body 10 as the protruding wall 95 and assemble the component to the oil pan main body 10 .

(third embodiment)

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an oil filter device 20 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The oil filter device 20 in this third embodiment differs from the oil filter device 20 in the first embodiment in the structure of the valve member 24 . Next, parts different from those of the first embodiment will be described in detail.

The valve member 97 includes a first valve body 97a, a second valve body 97b, a rotating shaft 97c and a third valve body 97d. The second valve body 97 b is used to open and close the upper and lower space communication part 40 of the oil receiving part 21 , and the third valve body 97 d is used to open and close a part of the oil suction pipe 60 .

As also shown in FIG. 21, the third valve body 97d is formed in a plate shape extending from between the first valve body 97a and the second valve body 97b. The width of the third valve body 97d is narrower than that of the first valve body 97a. In addition, the third valve body 97d is configured such that a part of the oil suction pipe 60 is closed by a front end side portion of the third valve body 97d. Notch portions 97e, 97e are formed on the distal end side of the third valve body 97d. The number of notches 97e may be one, or three or more. It should be noted that instead of the notch portion 97e, a through hole or the like may be formed.

When the valve member 97 is in the state during the warm-up operation (the state during the warm-up operation is shown in FIG. 20 ), the third valve body 97 d is positioned to close a part of the oil suction pipe 60 . The front end side portion of the third valve body 97 d provides flow resistance to the oil flowing through the oil suction pipe 60 . On the other hand, when the valve member 97 is in the state of normal operation, as shown by the dashed-two dotted line in FIG. 20 , the third valve body 97 d is separated from the oil suction pipe 60 , so that the oil suction pipe 60 is fully opened.

Next, the operation of the third embodiment will be described. When the engine E is warming up, the state of the valve member 97 becomes the state during the warming up, and the return oil flows into the inflow pipe portion 51 of the oil flow pipe portion 22 to flow downward, and then changes the flow direction to the upward direction to flow through. outflow tube 53 . The oil flowing through the outflow pipe portion 53 is filtered by the filter 23 and sucked into the engine E again.

Also, during warm-up operation, since the oil temperature in the lower space R2 of the oil pan main body 10 is low and the viscosity of the oil is high, the amount of oil sucked from the oil suction pipe 60 of the oil flow pipe portion 22 is small. In addition, a part of the oil suction pipe 60 is covered by the third valve body 97d, which is also a factor for reducing the amount of oil in the lower space R2 sucked into the oil flow pipe portion 22 .

During warm-up operation, for example, when the oil requirement of the engine E increases, the oil stored in the lower space R2 flows from the oil suction pipe 60 through the third valve because the negative pressure in the oil flow pipe portion 22 increases. The cutout portion 97e of the body 97d is sucked into the oil flow pipe portion 22 . In this way, poor lubrication due to insufficient oil supply can be avoided.

On the other hand, after the oil temperature rises and the warm-up operation ends, the state of the valve member 97 becomes the state during normal operation. In this way, the upper and lower space communication portion 40 is opened, so that the return oil flows through the oil receiving portion 21, and then flows through the upper and lower space communication portion 40 to flow into the lower space R2. Also, since the third valve body 97d is away from the oil suction pipe 60 , the oil in the lower space R2 is sucked from the oil suction pipe 60 .

In addition, the oil filter device 20 is configured to rotate the valve member 97 to open the oil suction pipe 60 when the amount of oil required by the engine suddenly increases, for example, immediately after starting the engine. Thus, the fuel supply amount can be ensured according to the request of the engine.

As described above, according to the oil pan 1 according to the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, since the return oil received by the oil receiving portion 21 flows to the oil flow pipe portion 22 , the oil flow pipe portion 22 is arranged in the oil flow pipe portion 22 . The filter 23 inside the pipe portion 22 filters the return oil and supplies the filtered oil to the engine E, so that the return oil heated up can be directly supplied to the engine E. Thereby, the temperature rise speed of the oil can be accelerated, the warm-up time of the engine E can be shortened, and energy saving can be realized.

In addition, as in the modified example shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 , a lower valve member 100 may be provided instead of the third valve body 97d. The lower valve member 100 is arranged inside the oil suction pipe 60 . The lower valve member 100 includes a valve body 100a, a rotation shaft 100b, and side wall portions 100c provided on both edge portions of the valve body 100a in the direction of the rotation shaft. The rotation shaft 100b extends in a substantially horizontal direction and is rotatably supported by the side wall portion of the oil suction pipe 60 . The valve body 100 a is formed in a plate shape slightly smaller than the cross-sectional shape of the oil suction pipe 60 . A gap is formed between the peripheral portion of the valve body 100 a and the inner peripheral surface of the oil suction pipe 60 . The side wall portion 100c extends substantially parallel to the side surface of the oil suction pipe 60 . Oil exists between the side wall portion 100c and the side surface of the oil suction pipe 60 . Therefore, if the lower valve member 100 is to be rotated, due to the shearing force of the oil between the side wall portion 100 c and the side surface of the oil suction pipe 60 , the lower valve member 100 is not easily rotated. The lower the oil temperature, the greater the force required to rotate the lower valve member 100 .

By adjusting the length and width of the side wall portion 100c, the size of the gap between the side wall portion 100c and the side surface of the oil suction pipe 60, etc., the force required to rotate the lower valve member 100 can be changed.

During warm-up operation, the lower valve member 100 is less likely to open the oil suction pipe 60 because the temperature of the oil in the oil pan main body 10 is low and the viscosity is high. Therefore, the amount of oil sucked from the oil suction pipe 60 is small. On the other hand, after the warm-up operation is completed after the oil temperature rises, the lower valve member 100 can easily open the oil suction pipe 60 because the viscosity of the oil is low. Therefore, oil is sucked from the oil suction pipe 60 .

Also, when the vehicle is driven without warming up, the amount of oil required by the engine increases rapidly, and the negative pressure in the oil flow pipe portion 22 increases. The lower valve member 100 is opened by this negative pressure, so that fuel shortage does not occur.

(fourth embodiment)

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an oil filter device 20 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The difference between the oil filter device 20 in the fourth embodiment and the second embodiment is that the fourth embodiment includes a first valve part 101 and a second valve part 102 . Next, differences from the second embodiment will be described in detail.

The oil receiving part 21 is formed with an upper and lower space communication port (second communication part) 103 and a flow pipe communication port (first communication part) 104. The space R1 on the upper side communicates with the space R2 on the lower side than the oil receiving portion 21 , and the flow pipe communication port 104 communicates with the upstream end of the oil flow pipe portion 22 .

The first valve part 101 is used to open and close the communication port 104 of the flow pipe, and includes a valve body 101a and a rotating shaft 101b. The rotating shaft 101b is rotatably supported by the oil receiving portion 21 .

The second valve part 102 is used to open and close the upper and lower space communication port 103, and includes a valve body 102a and a rotating shaft 102b. The rotating shaft 102b is rotatably supported by the oil receiving portion 21 . An output shaft of the same actuator (not shown) as in the first embodiment is coupled to the rotating shaft 102b and the rotating shaft 101b, and rotates according to the oil temperature as in the first embodiment.

That is, as shown in FIG. 24 , during warm-up operation, the first valve member 101 opens the flow pipe communication port 104 and the second valve member 102 closes the upper and lower space communication ports 103 . In addition, as indicated by a two-dot chain line, during normal operation, the first valve member 101 closes the flow pipe communication port 104 and the second valve member 102 opens the upper and lower space communication ports 103 .

Next, the action of the fourth embodiment will be described.

During the warm-up operation, the flow pipe communication port 104 is opened and the upper and lower space communication port 103 is closed, so the return oil flows into the oil flow pipe part 22 from the flow pipe communication port 104, is filtered by the filter 90, and then sucked into the Inside the engine E.

On the other hand, after the warm-up operation is completed, the flow pipe communication port 104 is closed and the upper and lower space communication port 103 is opened. As a result, return oil flows into the lower space R2.

As described above, according to the oil pan 1 according to the fourth embodiment, since the return oil received by the oil receiving part 21 flows to the oil flow pipe part 22, the filter arranged inside the oil flow pipe part 22 Since the return oil is filtered by the filter 90 and the filtered oil is supplied to the engine E, the heated return oil can be directly supplied to the engine E. Thereby, the temperature rise speed of the oil can be accelerated, the warm-up time of the engine E can be shortened, and energy saving can be realized.

Furthermore, since the first valve member 101 and the second valve member 102 independently open and close the flow pipe communication port 104 and the upper and lower space communication port 103, the opening and closing timing and opening degree can be changed respectively. Thereby, oil temperature can be precisely managed.

Alternatively, the first valve member 101 and the second valve member 102 may be connected by a connecting member or the like, and the first valve member 101 and the second valve member 102 may be displaced by a single actuator. In addition, only one of the first valve member 101 and the second valve member 102 may be displaced according to the oil temperature state.

In addition, in the said 1st - 4th embodiment, although the case where this invention is applied to the engine E for automobiles was demonstrated, it is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied to, for example, various engines for construction equipment and power generation, automatic transmissions for vehicles, and the like.

In addition, the oil receiving part 21 and the oil flow pipe part 22 may be comprised with mutually different members.

In addition, the oil pan main body 10 may also be comprised by resin, steel plate, or aluminum casting, for example.

-Industrial Applicability-

As described above, the oil filter device and oil pan according to the present invention can be applied to, for example, an automobile engine.

Claims (7)

1. an oily filter, this oily filter is configured in the oil sump main body of storing at the oil of power plant Inner eycle, the oil be configured to being stored in this oil sump main body filters, and the oil filtered is fed to described power plant, it is characterized in that:

Described oily filter comprises:

Hold oily portion, after being used for being undertaken on described power plant Inner eycle from below, return the oil return come,

Oil flow through tube, holds the oil return accepted in oily portion described in using and imports in this oily flow through tube, and

Filter cleaner, is configured in the inside of described oily flow through tube, is used for filtering the oil flowing through this oily flow through tube;

Described oily flow through tube has:

Intake channel portion, holds the oil return accepted in oily portion import this intake channel portion by described,

Filter cleaner accommodating part, is arranged on the downstream side in this intake channel portion, holds described filter cleaner, and

Outlet pipe portion, is arranged on the downstream side of described filter cleaner accommodating part, flows out the oil return after being filtered by described filter cleaner,

On described filter cleaner accommodating part, be stored in than hold described in described oil sump main body oily portion closer to the oil of downside pasta compared with to be provided with closer to the position of below and to hold than described oily portion is also drawn into the upstream side of described filter cleaner also near upstream than described filter cleaner accommodating part oil suction portion near the oil of downside for making to be stored in;

The oil suction part that described outlet pipe portion and described power plant have is connected,

The opening portion that the sectional area that described oil suction portion has the upstream side of oily flow through tube described in area ratio is little.

2. oily filter according to claim 1, is characterized in that:

Described oily flow through tube combination first component and second component and form;

Described oil suction portion is formed in the gap between described first component and described second component;

Described in the area ratio in described gap, the sectional area of the upstream side of oily flow through tube is little.

3. oily filter according to claim 1 and 2, is characterized in that:

Hold oily portion be formed with the first interconnecting part and the second interconnecting part described, this first interconnecting part is communicated with the upstream extremity of described oily flow through tube, this second interconnecting part runs through this and holds oily portion, and with hold oily portion described in the ratio in described oil sump main body and be also communicated with near the space of below, and hold oily portion and be provided with described the switching mechanism opening, close at least described second interconnecting part;

Described switching mechanism is configured to: open described second interconnecting part when oil temperature state is more than set point of temperature.

4. oily filter according to claim 3, is characterized in that:

Described switching mechanism comprises valve member and drive unit, and this valve member is opened, close described first interconnecting part and described second interconnecting part, and this drive unit drives this valve member;

When oil temperature state is lower than set point of temperature, described drive unit makes described valve member carry out opening described first interconnecting part and the work of cutting out described second interconnecting part, on the other hand, when oil temperature state is more than set point of temperature, described drive unit makes described valve member carry out cutting out described first interconnecting part and the work of opening described second interconnecting part.

5. oily filter according to claim 3, is characterized in that:

Described switching mechanism comprises the first valve member, the second valve member and drive unit, this first valve member is opened, close described first interconnecting part, this second valve member is opened, close described second interconnecting part, and this drive unit drives described first valve member and described second valve member;

When oil temperature state is lower than set point of temperature, described drive unit makes described first valve member carry out opening the work of described first interconnecting part, and make described second valve member carry out closing the work of described second interconnecting part, on the other hand, when oil temperature state is more than set point of temperature, described drive unit makes described first valve member carry out cutting out the work of described first interconnecting part, and makes described second valve member carry out opening the work of described second interconnecting part.

6. oily filter according to claim 3, is characterized in that:

Described switching mechanism comprises valve member and drive unit, this valve member comprises the first valve body opening, close described first interconnecting part and the second valve body opening, close described second interconnecting part, described first valve body and described second valve body form as one, and this drive unit drives this valve member;

When oil temperature state is lower than set point of temperature, described drive unit makes described valve member carry out opening described first interconnecting part with described first valve body and cuts out the work of described second interconnecting part with described second valve body, on the other hand, when oil temperature state is more than set point of temperature, described drive unit makes described valve member carry out cutting out described first interconnecting part with described first valve body and opening the work of described second interconnecting part with described second valve body.

7. an oil sump, this oil sump comprises oil sump main body and oily filter, this oil sump main body is stored the oil at power plant Inner eycle, this oily filter is configured in described oil sump main body, the oil be configured to being stored in this oil sump main body filters, and the oil filtered is fed to described power plant, it is characterized in that:

Described oily filter comprises and holds oily portion, oily flow through tube and filter cleaner, this holds the oil return returning after oily portion is used for being undertaken on described power plant Inner eycle from below, hold the oil return accepted in oily portion import in this oily flow through tube with described, this filter cleaner is configured in the inside of described oily flow through tube, is used for filtering the oil flowing through this oily flow through tube;

Described oily flow through tube has:

Intake channel portion, holds the oil return accepted in oily portion import this intake channel portion by described,

Filter cleaner accommodating part, is arranged on the downstream side in this intake channel portion, holds described filter cleaner, and

Outlet pipe portion, is arranged on the downstream side of described filter cleaner accommodating part, flows out the oil return after being filtered by described filter cleaner,

On described filter cleaner accommodating part, be stored in than hold described in described oil sump main body oily portion closer to the oil of downside pasta compared with to be provided with closer to the position of below and to hold than described oily portion is also drawn into the upstream side of described filter cleaner also near upstream than described filter cleaner accommodating part oil suction portion near the oil of downside for making to be stored in;

The oil suction part that described outlet pipe portion and described power plant have is connected,

The opening portion that the sectional area that described oil suction portion has the upstream side of oily flow through tube described in area ratio is little.