JP2006083736A - Oil pan and lubrication device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a two-tank oil pan and a lubricating device having a simple configuration capable of appropriately and surely controlling oil exchange between a first chamber and a second chamber in accordance with an operation state of a lubrication target. .
An oil pan 30 is provided on an oil pan separator 31 that partitions a first chamber 30a communicating with a movable portion inside a cylinder block 20a and a second chamber 30b outside the first chamber 30a, and a bottom surface 31a of the oil pan separator 31. And an installed hydraulic valve 35. The hydraulic valve 35 is operated by moving the piston valve 35b by the oil pressure in the oil branch pipe 45 branched from the oil transport pipe 44 connected to the oil discharge port of the oil pump 42. The oil temperature is low and the oil viscosity is low. When the oil pressure is high and the oil pressure is high, the first opening 35d is closed, and when the oil temperature is low and the oil viscosity is low and the oil pressure is low, the first opening 35d is opened.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an oil pan and a lubricating device to which the oil pan is applied.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a lubricating device for lubricating an object to be lubricated such as an engine or an automatic transmission with lubricating oil (hereinafter simply referred to as “oil”) and an oil pan applied to the lubricating device have various structures. It has been known. Among the oil pans, a first chamber that opens toward the lubrication target, a second chamber that is adjacent to the first chamber and communicates with the first chamber through an oil communication path, and the first chamber A so-called two-tank oil pan is widely known that includes a partition wall provided between the first chamber and the second chamber so that the warm-up operation time can be shortened.

  That is, during the warm-up operation, the two-tank oil pan is used for lubrication of a lubrication target by restricting the oil exchange between the first chamber and the second chamber through the oil communication path. The oil amount is limited to the oil amount in the first chamber. As a result, during the warm-up operation, the temperature rise of the oil supplied to the lubrication target is accelerated, and excessive cooling of the lubrication target by the oil supplied to the lubrication target is suppressed. Subject's temperature rises quickly.

  Thereafter, the heat of the oil in the first chamber whose temperature has increased during the warm-up operation is also transmitted to the oil in the second chamber through the partition wall, so that the temperature of the oil in the second chamber gradually increases during the warm-up operation. Then, when the warm-up operation proceeds and the temperature of the oil in the first chamber (and the temperature of the oil in the second chamber) rises to a certain level, the first chamber and the second chamber that pass through the oil communication path. The restriction on the alternating current of oil between the two is released (end of warm-up operation). As a result, after the warm-up operation is completed, the total amount of oil accommodated in the first chamber and the second chamber can be used for lubrication, so that satisfactory lubrication in the lubrication target can be achieved.

Specific examples of the prior art of this type of two-layer oil pan include those described in the following patent documents.
JP 62-78423 A

  In the oil pan described in Patent Document 1, an oil pan inner that partitions a first chamber in which a strainer is disposed and a second chamber formed around the first chamber is disposed inside the oil pan outer. Yes. The oil pan inner is provided with a communication port for communicating the first chamber and the second chamber, and is provided with an electromagnetic valve for opening and closing the communication port.

  In the oil pan having such a configuration, during the warm-up operation, the communication port is closed by the electromagnetic valve, so that the oil exchange between the first chamber and the second chamber is blocked. When the oil temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the oil in the first chamber exceeds a predetermined temperature, the communication port is opened by the electromagnetic valve, and the space between the first chamber and the second chamber is opened. Oil exchange is possible.

  However, the oil pan described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which the electromagnetic valve is controlled by detecting the progress of warm-up operation by an oil temperature sensor. Therefore, there is a problem that the oil pan structure becomes complicated, such as the necessity of installing a temperature sensor in the oil pan and separately providing a control system for controlling the electromagnetic valve based on the output of the temperature sensor. It was.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems of the conventional two-tank oil pan, and the object thereof is between the first chamber and the second chamber depending on the operating condition of the lubrication target. It is to provide a two-tank oil pan with a simple configuration capable of appropriately and surely controlling the oil alternating current and a suitable lubricating device to which the two-tank oil pan is applied.

  In order to achieve this object, the oil pan of the present invention is characterized in that a first chamber that opens toward an object to be lubricated with oil, and the first chamber that is adjacent to the first chamber and communicates with the first chamber through an oil communication path. A so-called two-tank type oil pan including a second chamber and a partition wall provided between the first chamber and the second chamber includes a hydraulically operated valve having the following configuration.

  The hydraulic operation valve is provided in the partition and is configured to operate by an oil discharge pressure of an oil pump that sucks oil from the first chamber and sends the oil to the lubrication target. That is, the hydraulic operation valve is configured to operate based on the oil pressure in the oil transport pipe connected to the oil pump (the oil discharge port).

  Here, the oil pump is usually operated so as to supply oil for lubricating the lubrication target to the lubrication target in response to the operation state of the lubrication target (in many cases). The oil pump is configured to be driven using power in the lubrication target.)

  Assuming that the operation state (operation speed) to be lubricated is constant to some extent, the fluctuation of the oil discharge pressure of the oil pump due to the fluctuation of the operation state can be ignored. Thus, for example, when it is before the end of warm-up operation during cold operation (hereinafter simply referred to as “cold start”), the oil temperature is low and therefore the oil viscosity is high. The oil discharge pressure becomes high by sending out highly viscous oil. On the other hand, after the warm-up operation is finished, the oil temperature becomes high and the oil viscosity becomes low, so that the oil discharge pressure becomes low by sending out low viscosity oil from the oil pump.

  Further, as described above, the hydraulically operated valve is operated by the oil discharge pressure of an oil pump whose oil discharge pressure varies depending on the temperature (viscosity) of oil, and the oil communication path is reduced by the decrease in the oil discharge pressure. Is changed from blocked to connected.

  For example, at the time of cold start, as described above, the oil discharge pressure from the oil pump becomes high, so that the hydraulic valve sets the oil communication path to the closed state by the action of this high oil discharge pressure. . Thereby, the alternating current of the oil between the first chamber and the second chamber through the oil communication path during the warm-up operation is prohibited. Thereafter, when the warm-up operation proceeds and the oil becomes high temperature, the oil discharge pressure decreases as described above. Therefore, the hydraulic operation valve communicates the oil communication path from the closed state by the decrease of the oil discharge pressure. Change to state. As a result, free exchange of oil between the first chamber and the second chamber via the oil communication passage after the warm-up operation is completed is enabled.

  Thus, according to the above configuration, the hydraulically operated valve is mechanically driven by the change in the oil discharge pressure of the oil pump (for example, based on the change in the oil temperature as described above) corresponding to the operating condition of the lubrication target. Can be reliably controlled.

  Here, the lubricating device of the present invention having the oil pan having the above-described configuration includes an oil suction port disposed in the first chamber of the oil pan, and an oil flow path between the oil suction port and the lubrication target. An oil transport pipe that forms an oil pump, an oil pump interposed in the oil transport pipe, and an oil branch pipe connected to the oil transport pipe on the downstream side in the oil transport direction from the oil pump. Composed. The hydraulic valve is configured to be operated by oil discharge pressure in the oil branch pipe.

  That is, according to the present invention, the oil branch pipe is branched from the oil transport pipe on the downstream side in the oil transport direction from the oil pump, the oil branch pipe is connected to the hydraulic operation valve, and the hydraulic pressure from the oil branch pipe is used. Using a very simple configuration that mechanically controls the operation of the hydraulic valve, the control of the oil exchange between the first chamber and the second chamber is appropriately and reliably performed according to the operating condition of the lubrication target. A possible lubrication device is realized. From the viewpoint of more appropriately operating the hydraulic valve in accordance with the operation status of the lubrication target such as the progress status of the warm-up operation, the position where the oil branch pipe branches from the oil transport pipe is the oil pump It is preferable that the vicinity of the oil discharge port.

  Here, the hydraulically operated valve opens to the first chamber side and forms the oil communication path, and opens to the second chamber side and forms the oil communication path. A housing having two openings, a first position arranged in the housing and communicating the first opening and the second opening according to the oil discharge pressure, and the first opening And a moving member arranged to be movable between a second position for closing the second opening and the second opening. More preferably, the hydraulically operated valve includes a pressing member that is disposed in the housing and presses the moving member against the oil discharge pressure toward the first position. . As a result, a hydraulically operated valve that can reliably control the opening and closing operation based on a change in the oil discharge pressure of the oil pump corresponding to the operating condition of the object to be lubricated is realized with a very simple configuration.

  Further, it is preferable that the partition wall has a recess that forms the first chamber, and the hydraulic valve is formed at a bottom of the recess. That is, since the oil pump is not operated when the operation to be lubricated is stopped, the oil discharge pressure becomes the lowest, and the oil formed inside the hydraulic valve is formed by the hydraulic valve provided at the bottom of the first chamber. The communication path is set to the communication state. In other words, when the operation is stopped (especially when oil is removed for oil replacement), the oil communication path is set to the maximum communication state at the bottom of the first chamber.

  According to the said structure, it becomes possible to provide the suitable lubricating device which applied the 2 tank type oil pan which can perform oil replacement rapidly and reliably, and the said 2 tank type oil pan. In other words, according to the above configuration, the oil pan has the first chamber formed by the space inside the recess formed in the partition through the partition and the outside (lower side) of the partition. Divided into a second chamber. Therefore, when all the oil is extracted from the inside of the oil pan for oil replacement, the oil in the first chamber once flows out to the second chamber located outside the first chamber and then discharged to the outside of the oil pan. Need to be done.

  Here, as described above, when the temperature of the oil is low (corresponding to the temperature of the oil before the end of the warm-up operation), the two-tank type oil pan has the oil between the first chamber and the second chamber. It has a configuration in which alternating current is suppressed. Since the oil change is performed when the operation to be lubricated is stopped, the oil temperature is lower during the oil change than during the operation (when the warm-up operation is completed). Therefore, in the conventional two-tank oil pan, when oil is extracted from the inside of the oil pan for oil replacement, the oil from the first chamber to the second chamber is not easily removed, so that the oil change can be performed quickly and reliably. There was a problem that it was difficult to do.

  On the other hand, according to the configuration of the present invention, when the oil is drained, the operation of the lubrication target is stopped as described above, and the communication of the oil communication path is ensured at the bottom of the first chamber. Therefore, the oil can be quickly discharged from the first chamber to the second chamber through the oil communication passage. On the other hand, as described above, during the warm-up operation of the lubrication target, the alternating current of oil through the oil communication path between the first chamber and the second chamber is reliably interrupted. Therefore, according to the above-described configuration of the present invention, the advantage of the two-tank oil pan structure that shortens the warm-up operation time is not diminished, and the speed of oil change that has been a drawback of the conventional two-tank oil pan is reduced -Certainty can be improved.

  Moreover, according to the said structure, the said oil communicating path formed in the bottom part of the recessed part which forms a 1st chamber is located in a comparatively bottom part also in the height direction of a 2nd chamber. After the warm-up operation is completed, the inflow (supply) of oil from the second chamber to the first chamber is performed via the oil communication path at the bottom of the recess that forms the first chamber. Therefore, after the warm-up operation is completed, the oil having a relatively low temperature stored in the bottom of the second chamber flows into the first chamber, so that the temperature of the oil in the first chamber rapidly increases. Can be suppressed. Therefore, according to the said structure, the favorable cooling effect with respect to the lubrication object after completion | finish of warm-up operation can also be achieved.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in the two-tank oil pan and the lubrication apparatus to which the two-tank oil pan is applied, the oil between the first chamber and the second chamber according to the operating condition of the lubrication target. A configuration capable of appropriately and reliably controlling alternating current can be realized with a simple configuration.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (embodiments considered to be the best at the time of filing of the present application) will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Schematic configuration of the embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an engine to which a lubricating device having an oil pan according to the present embodiment is applied. The engine 10 includes a cylinder block unit 20, an oil pan 30, and a lubrication system 40.

  The cylinder block portion 20 includes a cylinder block 20a and a plurality of movable portions such as a piston 21, a crankshaft 22, and a camshaft 23 disposed in the cylinder block 20a.

  The oil pan 30 is fixed by a bolt at the lower end portion of the cylinder block 20a, and is a member for storing oil to be supplied to a movable portion such as the piston 21 that is a lubrication target. Details of the configuration of the oil pan 30 will be described later.

  The lubrication system 40 includes a strainer 41 disposed in the oil pan 30, an oil pump 42 provided in the cylinder block 20a, and an oil filter 43 provided outside the cylinder block 20a so as to be adjacent to the cylinder block 20a. And an oil transport pipe 44 provided as an oil flow path connecting the oil inlet of the oil filter 43 and the oil pump 42, and is provided so as to branch from the middle of the oil transport pipe 44 toward the oil pan 30. An oil branch pipe 45, an oil supply pipe 46 connected to the oil outlet of the oil filter 43, and an oil delivery pipe 47 provided as an oil flow path from the oil supply pipe 46 to each movable part. I have.

  The oil pump 42 includes a rotor 42a and a housing 42b fixed inside the cylinder block 20a so as to surround the rotor 42a. The oil pump 42 is composed of a rotary pump that operates by rotating a rotor 42a attached to the crankshaft 22 by the operation of the engine 10.

  The oil delivery pipe 47 distributes the filtered oil supplied from the oil supply pipe 46 to each of the oil discharge ports provided in the cylinder block 20a in order to supply oil to the movable parts. This is the piping.

(Configuration of main parts)
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view for explaining the configuration of the main part of the present embodiment. The oil pan 30 is disposed outside the oil pan separator 31 and an oil pan separator 31 that partitions the first chamber 30a communicating with the movable part inside the cylinder block 20a and the second chamber 30b outside the first chamber 30a. An oil pan cover 32 that forms an outer cover of the oil pan 30, a drain plug 33 that can be attached to and detached from the oil pan cover 32, and a hydraulic valve 35 that is installed at the bottom of the oil pan separator 31 are provided. .

  The oil pan separator 31 is a bathtub-shaped member composed of a bottom surface 31a, a side surface 31b provided so as to surround the bottom surface 31a, and a flange portion 31c provided around the side surface 31b. It is formed by injection molding synthetic resin. And the said 1st chamber 30a is formed of the recessed part comprised by the said bottom face 31a and the side surface 31b.

  The bottom of the first chamber 30a and the lowest part of the bottom surface 31a (the lowest part in the direction of gravity when the engine 10 is operable on a flat ground, the same applies hereinafter) have a diameter of 20 mm. An approximately circular through hole 31d is formed.

  Furthermore, an upper communication hole 31 e is provided in the upper part of the side surface 31 b of the oil pan separator 31. The upper communication hole 31e is provided as a through-hole, and stores the oil level when the maximum oil storage amount of the oil pan 30 is stored and half the maximum oil storage amount. A plurality of oil levels are provided within a range between the oil level and the height of the oil level. The upper communication hole 31e allows the oil in the second chamber 30b to flow into the first chamber 30a when the amount of oil in the first chamber 30a decreases within the above oil level height range. Thus, the first chamber 30a and the second chamber 30b have such a size that the oil level can be kept the same, and are formed in a circular shape with a diameter of about 10 mm or an elliptical system with an area equivalent to this. .

  The oil pan cover 32 is a bathtub-shaped member composed of a bottom surface 32a, a side surface 32b provided so as to surround the bottom surface 32a, and a flange portion 32c provided around the side surface 32b. It is formed by pressing a steel plate. The flange portion 31c of the oil pan separator 31 and the flange portion 32c of the oil pan cover 32 are fastened together with bolts to the lower end portion of the cylinder block 20a, whereby the oil pan separator 31 and the oil pan cover 32 are attached to the cylinder block 20a. Is fixed.

  A drain plug hole 32d is formed in the lowest part of the bottom surface 32a of the oil pan cover 32 to discharge oil when the oil is changed. The drain plug hole 32d is a through hole having a diameter of about 20 mm, and is formed as a screw hole in which a screw thread is formed on the inner edge thereof. The drain plug 33 is a bolt that matches the thread of the drain plug hole 32d described above, and blocks the drain plug hole 32d to prevent the oil from flowing out of the oil pan 30 from the second chamber 30b. It is comprised so that it may function as a stopper.

  A strainer 41 is disposed inside the first chamber 30a. The strainer 41 is configured such that the oil pump 42 and the suction port 41 b are connected via the strainer channel 41. And the suction inlet 41b is arrange | positioned in the bottom part in the said 1st chamber 30a so that the bottom face 31a of the 1st chamber 30a may be opposed through a predetermined gap. With this arrangement, when the oil stored in the first chamber 30a is sucked into the suction port 41b of the strainer 41, a (main) flow of oil along the bottom surface 31a is formed.

(Configuration of hydraulic valve)
The hydraulic valve 35 includes a cylindrical valve cover 35a having a top plate located on the upper side in FIG. 2 and a bottom plate located on the lower side in the drawing, and a columnar piston valve accommodated in the valve cover 35a. 35b and disposed in the valve cover 35a so that the piston valve 35b can be pressed from the bottom surface (lower surface in FIG. 2) of the piston valve 35b toward the upper surface (upper surface in FIG. 2). Spring 35c.

  The valve cover 35a is a casing of the hydraulic valve 35 and is made of a synthetic resin thin plate. The valve cover 35a is fixed to the bottom surface 31a of the oil pan separator 31 by fitting the outer cylindrical surface of the valve cover 35a in the cylindrical shape into the through hole 31d.

  The valve cover 35a is formed with a first opening 35d that opens in the first chamber 30a and a second opening 35e that opens in the second chamber 30b. The first opening 35d is formed as a substantially rectangular through hole provided on a side surface which is a cylindrical surface of the valve cover 35a. Then, the height of the lower end of the first opening 35d and the bottom surface 31a of the oil pan separator 31 are substantially matched at the contact portion between the valve cover 35a and the oil pan separator 31 to pass through the first opening 35d. The positional relationship between the valve cover 35a and the bottom surface 31a of the oil pan separator 31 is set so that oil can smoothly flow into the valve cover 35a from the outside (bottom surface 31a side) of the valve cover 35a. Moreover, the 2nd opening part 35e is formed as a circular through-hole provided in the center part of the said baseplate of the valve cover 35a.

  Further, an upper opening 35f, which is an opening having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical shape of the valve cover 35a, is provided at the center of the top plate of the valve cover 35a, and the valve cover 35a is formed at the upper opening 35f. Is connected to the oil branch pipe 45. And the upper end part in FIG. 2 of this valve cover 35a is formed in the flange shape by having formed the above-mentioned upper opening 35f. This flange-shaped portion (hereinafter referred to as “flange portion”) is in contact with the upper surface of the piston valve 35b when the piston valve 35b accommodated in the valve cover 35a moves upward in FIG. By making contact, the piston valve 35b is prevented from penetrating the top plate of the valve cover 35a and entering the oil branch pipe 45, and a “maximum ascending position” to be described later is defined in the piston valve 35b. Is formed.

  The diameter of the piston valve 35b in the columnar shape slides smoothly with the inner cylindrical surface of the cylindrical valve cover 35a, while oil flows between the inner cylindrical surface of the valve cover 35a and the side surface of the piston valve 35b. It is formed with a predetermined dimension that does not. That is, the valve cover 35a is configured to function as a cylinder that accommodates the piston valve 35b in a reciprocating manner in the vertical direction in FIG.

  When the piston valve 35b moves to the upper side in FIG. 2 up to the position (maximum ascending position as the first position) that contacts the flange portion of the valve cover 35a having the upper opening 35f, the piston valve 35b Since the lower end is positioned sufficiently above the lower end of the first opening 35d, most of the opening area of the first opening 35d passes through the through hole 31d (and the second opening 35e) of the oil pan separator 31. The dimension in the height direction in the columnar shape is set so as to constitute the oil communication path (so that the effective opening area of the first opening 35d is maximized). On the other hand, the piston valve 35b moves downward in FIG. 2 and reaches the position where the cylindrical side surface of the piston valve 35b is exposed over the entire first opening 35d (closed position as the second position). By doing so, the entire opening area of the first opening 35d is closed, whereby the oil communication path passing through the through hole 31d of the oil pan separator 31 (and the second opening 35e of the valve cover 35a) is closed. It is like that.

  Thus, the piston valve 35b contacts the top plate of the valve cover 35a to maximize the effective opening area of the first opening 35d (maximizing the communication state of the oil communication path). 2 and is displaced downward in FIG. 2 from the maximum ascending position to close the entire first opening 35d by the side surface of the piston valve 35b (the effective opening area is zero and the communication state of the oil communication path is closed). The effective opening area of the first opening is adjusted by reciprocating between the closed position and the degree of communication in the oil communication path.

  The spring 35c is composed of a coil spring, and is disposed inside the valve cover 35a and below the piston valve 35b in FIG. As the spring 35c, the piston valve 35b is constantly pressed upward in FIG. 2 (that is, the direction opposite to the direction in which the oil sent from the oil pump 42 presses the piston valve 35b through the oil branch pipe 45), and When the oil pressure in the oil branch pipe 45 is equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure, the specification is selected such that the piston valve 35b is displaced to the above-mentioned closed position.

(Operation of the embodiment)
Subsequently, operations of the oil pan 30 and the lubrication system 40 of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described.

  When the operation of the engine 10 is started, the vertical motion of the piston 21 based on the cycle motion of the internal combustion engine is converted into the rotational motion of the crankshaft 22, and the rotor 42a of the oil pump 42 attached to the crankshaft 22 rotates. As a result, the oil pump 42 sucks oil stored in the first chamber 30 a of the oil pan 30 from the suction port 41 b of the strainer 41, discharges the sucked oil, and directs it toward the oil transport pipe 44. Send it out.

  The oil sent from the oil pump 42 toward the oil transport pipe 44 is transported to the oil filter 43 through the oil transport pipe 44 and filtered by the oil filter 43. The filtered oil is supplied to the oil delivery pipe 47 through the oil supply pipe 46, and is supplied from the oil delivery pipe 47 to each movable part such as the piston 21, the crankshaft 22, the camshaft 23, and the like. After functioning as lubricating oil in each movable part, it is collected in the first chamber 30a by dropping due to gravity.

  On the other hand, the oil discharge pressure of the oil sent from the oil pump 42 toward the oil transport pipe 44 is transmitted to the upper surface of the piston valve 35 b of the hydraulic valve 35 through the oil branch pipe 45.

  As described above, since the oil pump 42 is driven by the power generated by the engine 10, the oil discharge pressure of the oil pump 42 can depend on the engine speed and the viscosity of the oil. Here, when the driver does not turn on the accelerator during the warm-up operation immediately after the start of the operation of the engine 10, the rotation speed of the engine 10 is controlled by the engine control computer (the engine control computer). The oil discharge pressure depends on the viscosity of the oil, assuming that there is almost no influence of the oil discharge pressure due to the engine speed.

<During warm-up operation>
The lower the temperature of the oil, the higher the viscosity of the oil, and thus the higher the oil discharge pressure. This relationship will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the temperature of the oil and the viscosity of the oil. The lower the temperature of the oil, the higher the viscosity of the oil. FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the oil viscosity and the oil discharge pressure when the engine speed is constant, and both are in a substantially linear relationship.

  Therefore, at the cold start, the oil viscosity is very high due to the low temperature of the oil, and the oil discharge pressure strongly increases the piston valve 35b to the closed position against the elastic force of the spring 35c. It becomes high enough to be able to be pushed down. Therefore, at the time of cold start, the first opening 35d can be closed by the piston valve 35b of the hydraulic valve 35 reaching the closed position immediately and reliably, so that the first opening 35d, the oil pan separator 31 can be closed. The oil communication path that passes through the through hole 31d of the valve and the second opening 35e of the valve cover 35a is reliably closed, and the oil is exchanged between the first chamber 30a and the second chamber 30b through the oil communication path. Is reliably shut off.

<End of warm-up operation>
Subsequently, as the warm-up operation proceeds and the temperature of the oil increases, the viscosity of the oil decreases, thereby decreasing the oil discharge pressure, that is, the hydraulic pressure that the piston valve 35b receives on its upper surface. For this reason, the piston valve 35b is displaced against the hydraulic pressure (moved upward in FIG. 2) by the elastic force of the spring 35c.

  When the predetermined temperature and viscosity as indicated by T0 and η0 in FIG. 3 are reached, the oil discharge pressure reaches P0 shown in FIG. 4, and the lower end of the piston valve 35b is exposed to the first opening 35d. As a result, communication of the oil communication path in the first opening 35d starts. As a result, the oil flow along the bottom surface 31a when oil is sucked into the suction port 41b of the strainer 41 as described above reaches the oil communication passage communicated with the second opening 35e and the through hole 31d. , And through the first opening 35d, the oil at the bottom of the second chamber 30b flows into the first chamber 30a. In addition, with the inflow of oil from the second chamber 30b to the first chamber through the through hole 31d, the oil in the upper portion of the first chamber 30a flows out from the upper communication hole 31e to the second chamber 30b.

  Thereafter, when the operation of the engine 10 is continued and the oil temperature rises, the action of the oil discharge pressure on the piston valve 35b becomes smaller and the piston valve 35b is further displaced upward in FIG. The effective opening area in the first opening 35d is further increased. Thereby, the alternating current of the oil passing through the oil communication path (the second chamber 30b → the oil communication path → the first chamber 30a → the upper communication hole 31e → the oil circulation in the second chamber 30b) becomes active.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the pressure of the oil branch pressure in the oil branch pipe 45 to the piston valve 35b is reduced due to the decrease in the viscosity of the oil due to the increase in the temperature of the oil, and the piston valve 35b By being pushed up by the spring 35c, the first opening 35d is reliably opened, so that the communication state of the oil communication path can be reliably formed.

  In particular, the oil that flows into the first chamber 30a and is sucked into the strainer 41 is stored in the bottom of the second chamber 30b (the region between the bottom surface 31a of the oil pan separator 31 and the bottom surface 32a of the oil pan cover 32). The oil having a relatively low temperature and flowing out from the first chamber 30a to the second chamber 30b is an oil having a relatively high temperature near the oil surface. Therefore, such an oil circulation can suppress an excessive increase in the temperature of the oil in the first chamber 30a, thereby suppressing overheating of the engine 10.

<When changing oil>
Further, when the engine is stopped, the oil pump 42 is not operated, so that the oil discharge pressure of the oil pump 42 in the oil branch pipe 45 (the oil pressure of the oil branch pipe 45) becomes the lowest level. Therefore, in this case, the piston valve 35b is pushed up by the elastic force of the spring 35c until it comes into contact with the flange portion at the upper end of the valve cover 35a, and the effective opening area in the first opening 35d is maximized (the first opening 35d). The oil communication path in FIG.

  Accordingly, if the drain plug 33 is removed in this state, the oil in the second chamber 30b is discharged from the drain plug hole 32d. At the same time, the oil in the first chamber 30a can quickly flow out to the second chamber 30b after passing through the oil communication passage communicated to the maximum extent, so that the oil can be quickly discharged from the drain plug hole 32d to the outside. Can be discharged.

  Here, the hydraulic valve 35 (and the first opening 35d and the through hole 31d) is provided in the lowest part of the first chamber 30a. Therefore, it can be avoided as much as possible that the oil remains in the first chamber 30a when the oil is drained.

<When the amount of oil is low>
Further, even during warm-up operation, even at an extremely low temperature, even when oil is sucked out from the first chamber 30a by the strainer 41 and the oil level in the first chamber 30a is lowered, the viscosity of the oil is reduced. Since it is very high, it is difficult for oil to flow from the second chamber 30b to the first chamber 30a through the upper communication hole 31e. Therefore, when the engine 10 is operated while the state in which the amount of oil in the first chamber 30a has almost disappeared at such an extremely low temperature, the amount of oil in the movable portion is insufficient and sufficient in the movable portion. Lubrication is not achieved.

  On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment, when the amount of oil inside the first chamber 30a is almost lost and air is sucked into the oil pump 42 together with the oil, the oil pump 42 Since the oil discharge pressure decreases and the hydraulic pressure acting on the piston valve 35b of the hydraulic valve 35 also decreases, the piston valve 35b is pressed and displaced by the spring 35c, and the first opening 35d is opened. The oil in the second chamber 30b can quickly flow into the first chamber 30a through the oil communication path. Thus, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, good lubrication during cryogenic start-up is achieved.

(Suggestion of modification)
Note that, as described above, the above embodiment is merely an example of the embodiment of the present invention that the applicant considered to be the best at the time of filing of the present application. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the essential part of the present invention. Hereinafter, although some modifications will be exemplified, it goes without saying that the modifications are not limited to the following.

  For example, the configuration of the oil pan and the lubricating device of the present invention can be applied to various devices including a lubricating device to which the oil pan is applied, such as an automatic transmission, in addition to the engine as in the above-described embodiment. .

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the 1st chamber 30a and the 2nd chamber 30b existed in the up-and-down relationship, ie, the adjoining relationship of the up-down direction, you may have a left-right relationship. That is, the oil pan separator 31 is configured by a flat plate provided in the oil pan cover 32 along the vertical direction in FIG. The first chamber 30a and the second chamber 30b may be formed by dividing in the direction.

  The position of the hydraulic valve 35 is not limited to that of the above embodiment. That is, even with the configuration in which the hydraulic valve 35 is provided on the side surface 31b of the oil pan separator 31, the first chamber 30a and the first chamber 30a There exists an effect | action and effect that the communication state of the oil communication path between the 2nd chambers 30b can be controlled mechanically reliably.

  The configuration of the hydraulic valve 35 is not limited to that of the above embodiment. For example, a rubber balloon is attached to the end of the oil branch pipe 45 (the lower end in FIG. 2), and the rubber balloon expands with the oil discharge pressure of the oil pump 42, thereby closing the through hole 31d at the bottom of the oil pan separator 31. You may comprise as follows. If the piston valve 35b is made of a material having a specific gravity smaller than the specific gravity of oil and the buoyancy in the oil of the piston valve 35b is used, the spring 35c is not necessary.

  Further, the distance between the drain plug 33 and the hydraulic valve 35 in plan view is preferably as small as possible from the viewpoint of oil exchangeability. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a recess is provided around the drain plug hole 32 d in the bottom surface 32 a of the oil pan cover 32, and a hydraulic valve 35 is provided in the vicinity of the recess, thereby generating the drain plug 33. The oil flow acts on the hydraulic valve 35, and the oil is quickly discharged from the first chamber 30a.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an engine to which a lubricating device having an oil pan according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a sectional side view for demonstrating the structure of the principal part of this embodiment. It is the graph which showed the relationship between the viscosity of oil and the temperature of oil. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the viscosity of oil and the oil discharge pressure of an oil pump.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Engine, 20 ... Cylinder block part, 30 ... Oil pan, 30a ... 1st chamber, 30b ... 2nd chamber, 31 ... Oil pan separator, 35 ... Hydraulic valve, 35b ... Piston valve, 35c ... Spring, 35d ... First 1 opening, 35e ... 2nd opening, 40 ... lubrication system, 41 ... strainer, 41b ... suction port, 42 ... oil pump, 44 ... oil transport pipe, 45 ... oil branch pipe

Claims (8)

A first chamber that opens toward an object to be lubricated by oil; a second chamber that is adjacent to the first chamber and communicates with the first chamber through an oil communication path; and a space between the first chamber and the second chamber. In an oil pan consisting of a partition wall provided in
The oil communication passage is configured to be operated by an oil discharge pressure of an oil pump that is provided in the partition wall and sucks oil from the first chamber and sends the oil to the lubrication target. An oil pan provided with a hydraulically operated valve configured to be changeable from a closed state to a communicating state. The oil pan according to claim 1,
The hydraulically operated valve is
A housing having a first opening opening on the first chamber side and forming the oil communication path; and a second opening opening on the second chamber side and forming the oil communication path; ,
A first position that is disposed in the housing and communicates with the first opening and the second opening according to the oil discharge pressure, and closes the first opening and the second opening. A moving member arranged to be movable between the second position;
Oil pan with. The oil pan according to claim 2,
The hydraulically operated valve is
An oil pan provided in the casing and provided with a pressing member that presses the moving member against the oil discharge pressure toward the first position. The oil pan according to claim 2 or 3, wherein
The partition has a recess that forms the first chamber;
The hydraulic operation valve is an oil pan formed at the bottom of the recess. A first chamber that opens toward an object to be lubricated by oil; a second chamber that is adjacent to the first chamber and communicates with the first chamber through an oil communication path; and a space between the first chamber and the second chamber. An oil pan composed of a partition wall provided in
An oil suction port disposed in the first chamber of the oil pan;
An oil transport pipe that forms an oil flow path between the oil suction port and the lubrication target;
An oil pump interposed in the oil transport pipe,
In a lubrication device comprising
An oil branch pipe connected to the oil transport pipe on the downstream side in the oil transport direction from the oil pump;
A hydraulically operated valve provided in the partition, configured to be operated by oil discharge pressure in the oil branch pipe, and configured to be able to change the oil communication path from a closed state to a communication state by decreasing the oil discharge pressure. When,
Lubricator equipped with. The lubricating device according to claim 5, wherein
The hydraulically operated valve is
A housing having a first opening opening on the first chamber side and forming the oil communication path; and a second opening opening on the second chamber side and forming the oil communication path; ,
A first position that is disposed in the housing and communicates with the first opening and the second opening according to the oil discharge pressure, and closes the first opening and the second opening. A moving member arranged to be movable between the second position;
Lubricator equipped with. The lubricating device according to claim 6, wherein
The hydraulically operated valve is
A lubrication apparatus comprising a pressing member disposed in the housing and pressing the moving member against the oil discharge pressure toward the first position. The lubrication device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein
The partition has a recess that forms the first chamber;
The hydraulically operated valve is a lubricating device formed at the bottom of the recess.

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