JP5125340B2 - Exhaust gas sensor protection structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an exhaust gas sensor protection structure, and more particularly, to an exhaust gas sensor protection structure in which a catalytic converter and an exhaust gas sensor are disposed in a front portion of a vehicle.

Some vehicles include a catalytic converter that purifies exhaust gas from an engine and an exhaust gas sensor that detects an exhaust gas state at the front of the vehicle.
That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, conventionally, in a vehicle, a lower member 102 and an upper member 103 that extend in the vehicle width direction X in parallel with each other are disposed at the front portion of the engine room 101. There is one in which a center race 104 extending in the vehicle up-down direction Y is connected to the central portion of the vehicle width direction X with 103.
Then, a catalytic converter 118 attached to the engine 106 of the power unit 105 is disposed obliquely rearward (right diagonally rearward) of the center race 104 with the exhaust passage 119 extending in the vehicle vertical direction Y, and downstream of the catalytic converter 118. A downstream exhaust gas sensor 126 as an exhaust gas sensor is attached to the side exhaust pipe 125. Further, an upstream side exhaust gas sensor 123 is attached on the upstream side of the catalytic converter 118. Catalytic converter 118 is supported on engine 106 by stiffener 129.

Conventionally, an exhaust system structure of an engine is provided with a deep bottom portion and a shallow bottom portion in an oil pan below the engine, an exhaust pipe is provided below the shallow bottom portion, and an exhaust hole sensor mounting hole is provided in the exhaust pipe. Some exhaust gas sensors are inserted into the mounting holes so that the axis is oriented in a substantially horizontal direction, and the exhaust gas sensor is disposed below the shallow bottom.
Some engine exhaust system support structures support the catalytic converter on the engine with a stiffener.
JP 2006-37854 A JP 2001-193450 A

In the conventional structure shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the downstream side exhaust gas sensor 126 has a vehicle rear side of the center race 104 to avoid interference with auxiliary equipment such as an air conditioning compressor 112 attached to the engine 106. It protrudes toward the space M.
For this reason, when an excessive external force is applied to the front portion of the vehicle, the center race 104 or the lower member 102 moves rearward and collides with the downstream side exhaust gas sensor 126, causing the downstream side exhaust gas sensor 126 to be damaged.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust gas sensor protection structure that protects an exhaust gas sensor disposed in the front part of the engine room when an excessive external force is applied to the front part of the vehicle and reduces the cost for repair. It is in.

According to the present invention, a lower member and an upper member that extend parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction are disposed at the front portion of the engine room, and a center tab race that extends in the vehicle vertical direction is connected to a center portion of the lower member and the upper member in the vehicle width direction. An engine and a transmission are arranged in the engine room so that an output shaft extends in a vehicle width direction, and a catalytic converter is disposed obliquely behind the center race and on the front side of the engine in the vehicle vertical direction. In the exhaust gas sensor protective structure in which the exhaust gas sensor is disposed in the exhaust pipe downstream of the catalytic converter so as to protrude into a space behind the vehicle of the center race, the catalytic converter and the engine the stiffener for connecting the disposed on the back side of the center brace, and one end portion of the stiffener Together it is projected forward of the vehicle than the serial exhaust gas sensor, both ends of the stiffener, characterized in that connected to the flange portion for joining the transmission of the main body portion of the catalytic converter engine.

  The protection structure for an exhaust gas sensor according to the present invention protects the exhaust gas sensor disposed in the front part of the engine room when an excessive external force acts on the front part of the vehicle, and can reduce the cost for repair.

The present invention realizes the purpose of protecting an exhaust gas sensor disposed in the front part of an engine room when an excessive external force is applied to the front part of the vehicle and reducing the cost of repair by a stiffener supporting a catalytic converter. It is.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail and specifically with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention. 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes an engine room at the front of the vehicle.
As shown in FIG. 1, a lower member 2 and an upper member 3 extending parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction (vehicle left-right direction) X are disposed at a front portion of the engine room 1 with a predetermined distance in the vehicle vertical direction Y. In addition, a center race 4 extending in the vehicle vertical direction Y is connected to the center of the lower member 2 and the upper member 3 in the vehicle width direction X.
A power unit 5 is disposed in the engine room 1. The power unit 5 is configured by assembling a transmission 7 to an engine 6 and is disposed so that an output shaft 8 of the transmission 7 extends in the vehicle width direction X (see FIGS. 1 and 3). Is mounted on the vehicle.
As shown in FIG. 1, the engine 6 is for four cylinders, and includes a cylinder block 9, a cylinder head 10 mounted on the upper surface of the cylinder block 9, and a cylinder head cover 11 mounted on the upper surface of the cylinder head 10. And.
An air conditioning compressor 12 is attached to the lower right portion of the cylinder block 9 of the engine 6.

An intake manifold 13 of an intake system is attached to the rear portion of the cylinder head 10 of the engine 6. An air cleaner 14 is disposed above the front portion of the engine 6 at the height position of the upper member 3. An intake hose 15 is connected to the air cleaner 14.
A resonator 16 is disposed above the front portion of the transmission 7 at the height position of the upper member 3.

An exhaust manifold 17 of an exhaust system is attached to the front portion of the cylinder head 10 of the engine 6.
A catalytic converter 18 connected to the exhaust manifold 17 is disposed diagonally rearward (right diagonally rearward) of the center race 4 and the vehicle front side of the engine 6 so that the exhaust passage 19 extends in the vehicle vertical direction Y. ing. The catalytic converter 18 includes a central body 20, an upstream upper part 21, and a downstream lower part 22.
As shown in FIGS . 1 and 2 , an upstream side exhaust gas sensor 23 as an exhaust gas sensor is disposed on the upper part 21 of the catalytic converter 18 from the upper left side. An upstream exhaust gas sensor wiring 24 extending upward is connected to the upstream exhaust gas sensor 23.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a downstream side exhaust gas sensor 26 as an exhaust gas sensor projects into a space S <b> 1 behind the vehicle of the center race 4 in the downstream side exhaust pipe 25 connected to the lower part 22 of the catalytic converter 18. It is arranged. The downstream exhaust pipe 25 of the catalytic converter 18 is disposed at the height position of the lower member 2.
An upstream exhaust gas sensor wiring 27 extending upward is connected to the downstream exhaust gas sensor 26. The upstream side exhaust gas sensor wiring 27 and the upstream side exhaust gas sensor wiring 24 are bundled in the middle by a binding tool 28.

As shown in FIG. 1, the catalytic converter 18 and the engine 6 are connected by a first stiffener 29 and a second stiffener 30 as stiffeners.
The first stiffener 29 is disposed at the right portion of the main body portion 20 of the catalytic converter 18 and the vehicle front portion of the cylinder block 9.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the second stiffener 30 is disposed on the back side of the center race 4 at the left side of the main body 20 of the catalytic converter 18, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Further, the vehicle front side edge portion 30 </ b> A protrudes forward of the vehicle from the downstream side exhaust gas sensor 26.
With such a structure, when the centab race 4 and the lower member 2 move rearward when an excessive external force is applied to the front portion of the vehicle, the second stiffener 30 is brought into contact with the centab race 4 to be downstream. A collision with the side exhaust gas sensor 26 can be avoided. For this reason, the downstream side exhaust gas sensor 26 can be protected, and the cost for repair can be reduced.
Further, the catalytic converter 18 can be firmly supported by the first stiffener 29 on the right side of the vehicle and the second stiffener 30 on the left side of the vehicle.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the vehicle front side edge portion 30 </ b> A serves as the main body portion 20 of the catalytic converter 18 at the vehicle front side edge portion 30 </ b> A and the vehicle right side edge portion 30 </ b> B as both ends of the second stiffener 30. The right side edge 30B of the vehicle is connected to a flange 31 where the transmission 7 of the engine 6 is joined.
Thus, by connecting the vehicle right side edge 30B of the second stiffener 30 to the flange 31 of the cylinder block 9 protruding forward of the vehicle, the overall length of the second stiffener 30 is shortened, and at the time of the collision with the center race 4 The structure is difficult to deform. For this reason, the protection performance of the downstream side exhaust gas sensor 26 can be further improved.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a radiator 32 extending from the front of the centab race 4 to the transmission 7 side in the vehicle width direction X is disposed on the vehicle front side of the centab race 4. The radiator 32 is positioned so that the right end 32A of the radiator 32, which is the end adjacent to the center race 4 among the two ends in the direction X, is positioned on the vehicle front side with respect to the left end 32B of the radiator 32, which is the other end. The vehicle is tilted by an angle θ with respect to a direction (vehicle width direction X) orthogonal to the vehicle longitudinal direction Z. A radiator fan 33 having a width in the vehicle width direction X smaller than that of the radiator 32 is attached to the rear left portion of the radiator 32 so as to protrude rearward of the vehicle.
Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the center race 4 is formed in the space S <b> 2 formed by the rear portion of the radiator 32 and the right portion of the radiator fan 33, and from the upstream side exhaust gas sensor 23 and the downstream side exhaust gas sensor 26. Is also disposed in front of the vehicle.
In addition, a radiator inlet pipe 35 is connected to the upper tank 34, and a radiator outlet pipe 37 is connected to the lower tank 36. The radiator inlet pipe 35 and the radiator outlet pipe 37 extend rearward of the vehicle and are connected to the engine 6.
By adopting such a structure, the gap between the radiator 32 and the centab race 4 can be enlarged, and the radiator 32 can hardly be moved backward when the excessive external force acts on the front portion of the vehicle. For this reason, the protection performance of the downstream side exhaust gas sensor 26 can be improved, and the cost for repair can be reduced.

  A structure in which a stiffener for connecting the catalytic converter and the engine is arranged on the back side of the center race and the front edge of the stiffener protrudes ahead of the exhaust gas sensor is also applied to other engines. Is also possible.

It is a front view of the power unit which excluded the radiator. It is a left view of the power unit of FIG. It is a top view of the power unit which excluded the lower member and the upper member. It is a bottom view of the power unit of FIG. It is a front view of the power unit which excluded the radiator in the past. It is a left view of the power unit of FIG. 5 in the past.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Engine room 2 Lower member 3 Upper member 4 Centab race 5 Power unit 6 Engine 7 Transmission 8 Output shaft 9 Cylinder block 10 Cylinder head 11 Cylinder head cover 12 Air-conditioning compressor 13 Intake manifold 14 Air cleaner 15 Intake hose 16 Resonator 17 Exhaust manifold 18 Upstream Side exhaust gas sensor 25 Downstream exhaust pipe 26 Downstream exhaust gas sensor 29 First stiffener 30 Second stiffener 30A Front stiffener of the second stiffener 31 Flange portion 32 Radiator 33 Radiator fan

Claims (2)

A lower member and an upper member that extend in parallel to each other in the vehicle width direction are disposed at a front portion of the engine room, and a center race that extends in the vehicle vertical direction is connected to a center portion of the lower member and the upper member in the vehicle width direction, and the engine The engine and the transmission are arranged in the room so that the output shaft extends in the vehicle width direction, and the catalytic converter is arranged obliquely behind the center race and on the vehicle front side of the engine so that the exhaust passage extends in the vehicle vertical direction. In the exhaust gas sensor protection structure in which an exhaust gas sensor is disposed in the exhaust pipe downstream of the catalytic converter so as to protrude into the space behind the vehicle in the center race, the connection between the catalytic converter and the engine is connected. disposed stiffener on the back side of the center brace, and the exhaust gas one end of the stiffener Together is projected forward of the vehicle than the capacitors, the ends of the stiffener, protective structure of an exhaust gas sensor, characterized in that coupled to the flange portion for joining the transmission of the main body portion of the catalytic converter engine.   A radiator extending from the front of the centab race to the transmission side in the vehicle width direction is disposed on the vehicle front side of the centab race, and an end portion adjacent to the centab race of both ends of the radiator in the vehicle width direction is disposed. 2. The exhaust gas sensor protection structure according to claim 1, wherein the radiator is inclined with respect to a direction orthogonal to the vehicle front-rear direction so as to be positioned on the front side of the vehicle with respect to the other end.

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