JP6872379B2 - Oil pump and oil pump integrated device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an oil pump having a thermo valve and an oil pump integrated device integrally provided with such a function as an oil pump.

Many vehicles have an oil pump for circulating oil in an engine, an automatic transmission, or the like. Some of the oil pumps in the world may be integrally provided in the balancer housing that holds the balancer shaft or the casing of the chain case. Oil is circulated in the oil flow path by an oil pump. Generally, the oil flow path has a main flow path for circulating oil and a bypass flow path that bypasses the main flow path. There is a technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a prior art relating to an oil flow path in which oil is circulated by an oil pump.

As shown in Patent Document 1, the oil flow path includes a main flow path for circulating oil, a bypass flow path that bypasses the main flow path, and an oil pump that allows oil to flow through the main flow path and / or the bypass flow path. It also has a thermo valve that controls the flow rate of oil flowing into the bypass flow path according to the temperature of the oil.

When the temperature of the oil is high, the wax in the thermoactuator expands and advances the valve body. The valve body closes the bypass flow path and oil flows only through the main flow path. When the temperature of the oil is low, the wax in the thermoactuator shrinks. The valve body retracts due to the urging force of the return spring in the thermoactuator. This opens the bypass flow path. Oil flows in both the main and bypass channels.

Oil has a high viscosity at low temperatures. That is, the oil pressure is high in the main flow path in which the oil having a low temperature is present. By changing the flow rate of the oil flowing to the bypass flow path, the oil pressure in the main flow path can be made almost constant regardless of the difference in oil temperature. In order to keep the oil pressure almost constant, the thermo valve is required to operate reliably according to the temperature change of the oil.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-27252

An object of the present invention is to provide an oil pump equipped with a thermo valve that operates reliably in response to a change in oil temperature.

According to the invention of claim 1, it is used in an oil flow path having a main flow path through which oil flows and a bypass flow path that bypasses the main flow path and is connected to an oil pan.
The housing contains a rotating shaft portion and an oil delivery means that is rotated by the rotating shaft portion to deliver oil, and the oil is sent to the bypass flow path when the temperature of the oil is high. It has a thermo valve that shuts off the flow and allows the oil to flow to the bypass flow path when the temperature of the oil is low.
The housing has a hole-shaped housing hole that leads to the bypass flow path.
The thermo valve is an oil pump having a case and a valve body that can move in the case.
The case has a case hole facing the housing hole.
An oil pump is provided in which the thermo valve is arranged along a horizontal axis at a position lower than the rotation shaft portion.

As described in claim 2, preferably, at least a part of the thermo valve is located directly below the rotating shaft portion in a front view.

As described in claim 3, preferably, prior SL case hole portion is smaller than the housing bore.

As described in claim 4, preferably, a pressure valve for controlling the flow rate of the oil flowing into the bypass flow path by the pressure of the oil is further provided.
At least a part of the pressure valve overlaps the thermo valve or the valve cover portion of the housing when viewed from the front.

According to the invention of claim 5, it is used in an oil flow path having a main flow path through which oil flows and a bypass flow path that bypasses the main flow path and is connected to an oil pan.
In an oil pump integrated device in which an oil pump for circulating the oil is integrally provided.
The oil pump includes a rotating shaft portion and an oil delivery means that is rotated by the rotating shaft portion to deliver the oil in a housing.
The housing blocks the flow of the oil to the bypass flow path when the temperature of the oil is high, and allows the flow of the oil to the bypass flow path when the temperature of the oil is low. Thermo valve is stored,
The housing has a hole-shaped housing hole that leads to the bypass flow path.
An oil pump integrated device is provided in which the thermo valve is arranged along a horizontal axis at a position lower than the rotation shaft portion.

In the invention according to claim 1, the thermo valve is arranged along the horizontal axis at a position below the rotation shaft portion. By arranging the thermo valve sideways at a lower position of the oil pump, the thermo valve can be more reliably brought into contact with the oil and the temperature of the oil can be sensed. As a result, the thermo valve operates reliably in response to changes in the temperature of the oil.

In the invention according to claim 2, at least a part of the thermo valve is located directly below the rotation shaft portion in the front view. By arranging the parts in close proximity to each other, the oil pump can be miniaturized.

In the invention according to claim 3, the case hole portion is smaller than the housing hole portion. The housing of the oil pump is usually a cast product. On the other hand, cast products are also used for the thermo valve case. In order to make the size of the housing hole of the housing accurate, it is necessary to machine the housing having a large and complicated shape in a fixed state so as not to move, which is not preferable. On the other hand, the case hole formed in the case can be easily fixed because the case is small and has a simple shape, and can be easily machined to an accurate size. By making the case hole smaller than the housing hole, the amount of oil flowing into the bypass flow path is defined by the size (cross-sectional area) of the case hole. Since the case hole can be easily made into a predetermined size, it is preferable to specify the flow rate by the case hole from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost. On the other hand, by making the housing hole larger than the case hole, it is not necessary to cut it to an accurate size in another process. This point also contributes to the reduction of manufacturing cost.

In the invention according to claim 4, at least a part of the pressure valve overlaps the thermo valve or the valve cover portion when viewed from the front. As a result, the oil flow path can be shortened. As a result, the pipeline resistance in the flow path can be reduced. In addition, it contributes to the miniaturization of the oil pump.

In the invention according to claim 5, the thermo valve is arranged along the horizontal axis at a position below the rotation shaft portion. By arranging the thermo valve sideways at a low position of the oil pump integrated device, the thermo valve can be more reliably brought into contact with the oil and the temperature of the oil can be sensed. As a result, the thermo valve operates reliably in response to changes in the temperature of the oil.
In addition, the thermo valve forms part of the oil pump. That is, the thermo valve is
It is provided integrally with the il pump. A place where the oil pump and the thermo valve are arranged separately
Compared to the case, it can be arranged more compactly in the oil flow path.

It is a circuit diagram of the oil flow path which adopted the oil pump according to Example 1 of this invention. It is a side view of the oil pump shown in FIG. It is a 3 arrow view of the oil pump shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. It is a figure explaining the operation of the thermovalve shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the oil pump according to Example 2 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation of the thermovalve shown in FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, the terms "up / down / left / right" refer to up / down / left / right with reference to the drawing. In the figure, Up is shown above and Dn is shown below.
<Example 1>

See FIG. The oil pump 20 is used in the oil flow path 10. For example, the oil flow path 10 is a flow path that connects the oil pan Op and the oil pump 20 and the oil pump 20 and the engine En to circulate oil.

The oil flow path 10 includes a main flow path 11 and a bypass flow path 12 that bypasses a part of the main flow path 11.

Refer to FIGS. 2 to 4. The oil pump 20 is a so-called inscribed gear pump. The oil pump 20 has a rotating shaft portion 22 that is rotated by the operation of the engine En (see FIG. 1) in the housing 30, an inner rotor 23 that is rotated by the rotating shaft portion 22, and a peripheral edge of the inner rotor 23. The outer rotor 24, which is rotated by the inner rotor 23, and the thermo valve 40, which is operated by the temperature of the oil, are housed.

The inner rotor 23 and the outer rotor 24 constitute an oil delivery means 25 for delivering oil. As the means for delivering the oil, any means such as an external gear, a vane, and a piston can be adopted in addition to the internal gear shown in the embodiment.

See FIG. The oil pump 20 further includes a pressure valve 60 that controls the flow rate of oil flowing into the pressure bypass flow path 31i by the pressure of the oil.

See FIG. The housing 30 includes a main body portion 31 and a lid portion 32 that covers the main body portion 31.

See FIGS. 2 and 4. The main body 31 includes a valve cover 31a that covers the thermovalve 40, a discharge port 31c that discharges the sucked oil to the main flow path 11 (see FIG. 1), and a bypass flow path 12 (see FIG. 1) that discharges the sucked oil. It has a housing hole portion 31d to be discharged to (see FIG. 1). The housing hole portion 31d is formed in the valve cover portion 31a.

See FIGS. 3 and 5. The lid portion 32 is fastened to the main body portion 31 via a plurality of bolts 33. The main body 31 is formed with a suction port 32a for sucking oil and a discharge port 32b for discharging oil. The lid portion 32 also has a suction port and a discharge port.

The rotary shaft portion 22 is connected to the crankshaft, for example, via a chain or a gear. The rotating shaft portion 22 can be connected to any member such as a camshaft in addition to the crankshaft. That is, the external drive source is not limited to the crankshaft.

See FIG. The thermo valve 40 is arranged along the horizontal axis at a position below the rotating shaft portion 22. The position of the thermo valve 40 may be any position as long as it is submerged in oil, and if the thermo valve 40 is arranged below the rotating shaft portion 22 arranged above the lower end of the outer rotor 24, the present invention will be used. It is effective. The front view means that the oil pump 20 is viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion 22.

See FIG. The housing 30 of the oil pump 20 may be integrally provided on the balancer housing Ho that holds the balancer shaft or the casing Ho of the chain case. That is, in the oil pump integrated device 100 in which the oil pump is integrally provided, the housing 30 of the oil pump 20 is integrally formed as one component with respect to the balancer housing Ho and the casing Ho by casting or the like. That is, in the oil pump integrated device 100, the balancer housing Ho and the casing Ho include the housing 30 of the oil pump 20. In this case, the thermo valve 40 does not need to be provided as a complete component in the oil pump 20. The thermo valve 40 is attached to a balancer housing Ho or a casing Ho integrally configured with the oil pump 20 by casting or the like, and controls the flow rate of oil flowing through the bypass flow path 12 (see FIG. 1).

See FIG. 6 (a). FIG. 6A shows a thermo valve 40 when the oil temperature is high. The thermo-valve 40 returns the thermo-actuator 50 operated by the temperature of the oil, the valve body 43 fastened to the thermo-actuator 50, and the thermo-actuator 50 and the valve body 43 in a substantially tubular case 41. The return spring 44, which is urged in the right direction), is housed. One end of the case 41 is closed by the actuator lid 45. The actuator lid portion 45 is prevented from coming off from the case 41 by a C-shaped retaining ring 46 sandwiched between the actuator lid portion 45 and the case 41.

The case 41 has a window portion 41a formed through the outer periphery of the thermoactuator 50 at four or two locations, and a case hole portion 41b opened and closed by the valve body 43. The window portion 41a allows oil to pass through the window portion 41a at all times while the oil is circulating. The case 41 is formed thin so that the periphery of the portion where the case hole portion 41b is formed has an outer diameter smaller than that of the other portions in the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. As a result, the oil can be discharged without stagnation regardless of the phase of the case hole portion 41b.

The thermoactuator 50 includes an actuator main body 51, a wax 52 that is filled in a hole made at one end of the actuator main body 51 and expands when the temperature rises, and a rod that is pushed out from the actuator main body 51 when the wax expands. It is composed of 53 and a large-diameter portion 54 protruding outward in the radial direction from the actuator main body 51. The large diameter portion 54 receives the end portion of the return spring 44 and serves as a spring receiving seat.

The valve body 43 includes a valve small diameter portion 43a that is inserted and fastened into a hole 51a formed at the other end of the actuator main body 51, and a valve step portion 43b that extends from the end portion of the valve small diameter portion 43a toward the outer periphery. And a valve large diameter portion 43c extending from the outer end of the valve step portion 43b and having a diameter larger than that of the valve small diameter portion 43a. The valve body 43 may be fastened to the rod 53 as long as the opening area of the case hole portion 41b can be changed.

The valve step portion 43b has an oil passage hole portion 43d through which oil can pass. Further, a hole 43e penetrating the center of the shaft is formed in the valve small diameter portion 43a. As a result, the valve body 43 can be easily inserted into the hole 51a without air resistance.

The outer diameter of the valve large diameter portion 43b is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the case 41. The inner diameter of the case 41 is large at the peripheral edge of the large diameter portion 54 and small at the peripheral edge of the valve body 43. The portions whose diameters change are formed in a stepped shape, receive the end portion of the return spring 44, and serve as a spring receiving seat.

See FIG. The pressure valve 60 includes a pressure valve cap member 61 that closes one end of the pressure valve storage hole 31h formed in the main body 31, a pressure valve spring member 62 that has one end in contact with the pressure valve cap member 61. It is composed of a pressure valve valve body 63 urged toward the discharge port 32b by the pressure valve spring member 62. The pressure valve 60 is arranged parallel to the thermo valve 40 along the horizontal axis, and a part of the pressure valve 60 overlaps the thermo valve 40 in the front view.

The pressure valve cap member 61 has a columnar shape as a whole, and has a shape in which the inside of the tip portion is hollowed out in a tubular shape. This hollowed-out portion (missing portion 61a) is used as a spring receiving seat of the pressure valve spring member 62.

The pressure valve valve body 63 has a shape in which one end of a hollow cylinder is closed. The portion (lid portion 63a) serving as the lid of the hollow cylinder is used as a spring receiving seat of the pressure valve spring member 62. The tip of the other end may also have a tubular shape.

The operation of the oil pump 20 will be described.

See FIG. The oil pump 20 is operated by operating the engine En. When the oil pump 20 operates, the oil accumulated in the oil pan Op flows to the suction port 32a as indicated by the arrow (1). Then, it flows to the discharge port 32b via the inner rotor 23 and the outer rotor 24. The oil flowing into the discharge port 32b is returned to the engine En as indicated by the arrow (2). Then, the oil circulating in the engine En is accumulated in the oil pan Op as shown by the arrow (3).

6 (a) is also referred to. When the oil is hot, the wax 52 is expanding. As the wax 52 expands, the rod 53 receives a force in the direction of coming out of the actuator body 51. However, since the tip of the rod 53 is in contact with the actuator lid 45, the rod 53 is prevented from advancing. Therefore, the actuator body 51 relatively retracts to the left side of the drawing against the urging force of the return spring 44. That is, the forward movement of the rod 53 means a relative relationship with respect to the actuator main body 51. The valve body 43 closes the case hole portion 41b in a state where the rod 53 is advanced (the actuator body 51 is retracted). Therefore, the oil passes only through the window portion 41a. As a result, the oil flows only through the main flow path 11 and does not flow into the bypass flow path 12.

See FIGS. 1 and 6 (b). FIG. 6B shows the thermo valve 40 when the oil temperature is low. Immediately after starting the engine, the oil temperature is low. When the temperature of the oil is low, the wax 52 is shrinking. Due to the urging force of the return spring 44, the actuator body 51 receives a force pointing to the right in the drawing. As a result, the amount of protrusion of the rod 53 from the actuator body 51 is reduced. That is, the rod 53 retracts when the temperature of the oil is lower than that when the temperature of the oil is high. As a result, the valve body 43 opens the case hole portion 41b.

When the case hole portion 41b is released, a part of the oil passes between the return spring 44 and the actuator main body 51 and passes through the oil passage hole portion 43d. The oil that has passed through the oil passage hole 43d and the case hole 41b is returned to the oil pan Op via the bypass flow path 12 as shown by the arrow (4) in FIG. That is, some oil is not returned to the engine En. Therefore, the flow rate of the oil passing through the main flow path 11 can be reduced, and the increase in the oil pressure of the engine En can be suppressed.

See FIG. The oil pressure flowing in the oil pump 20 may increase. When the oil pressure rises, the pressure valve valve body 63 is pushed toward the right side of the drawing by the oil and moves against the urging force of the pressure valve spring member 62. When the pressure valve valve body 63 moves to a predetermined position, the pressure valve accommodating hole 31h and the pressure bypass passage 31i communicate with each other. That is, the pressure valve 60 is opened as the oil pressure rises. As a result, it is possible to prevent the oil pressure of the main flow path 11 from rising excessively.

The oil that does not pass through the pressure bypass passage 31i flows to the right of the drawing and then flows from the rightmost portion to the front of the drawing. See also FIG. The oil that has flowed to the front of the drawing flows downward from the opening 31j and heads for the thermo valve 40.

The effects of the present invention described above will be described.

See FIG. The thermo valve 40 is arranged along the horizontal axis at a position below the rotating shaft portion 22. By arranging the oil pump 20 sideways at a low position, the entire thermo valve 40 is always in contact with the oil, and the temperature of the oil can always be sensed. As a result, the thermo valve 40 operates reliably in accordance with the temperature change of the oil.

See FIG. When the thermo valve 40 is mounted on the oil pump integrated device 100, it can be said as follows. The thermo valve 40 is arranged along the horizontal axis at a position below the rotating shaft portion 22. By arranging the thermo valve 40 sideways at a low position of the oil pump integrated device 100, the thermo valve 40 can be more reliably brought into contact with the oil, and the temperature of the oil can always be sensed. As a result, the thermo valve 40 operates reliably in accordance with the temperature change of the oil.

See FIG. The thermo valve 40 constitutes a part of the oil pump 20. That is, the thermo valve 40 is integrally provided with the oil pump 20. Compared with the case where the oil pump 20 and the thermo valve 40 are arranged separately, the thermo valve 40 can be arranged more compactly in the oil flow path 10.

Further, the axis C2 of the thermo valve 40 faces in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis C1 of the rotating shaft portion 22. If they are facing the same direction, the oil pump 20 may become larger in the axial direction. In this respect, the oil pump 20 can be made even more compact by directing the axes in a direction substantially orthogonal to each other.

See FIGS. 2 and 5. At least a part of the pressure valve 60 overlaps the thermo valve 40 when viewed from the front. Thereby, the flow path of the oil in the oil pump 20 can be shortened. As a result, the pipeline resistance in the flow path can be reduced. In addition, it contributes to the miniaturization of the oil pump 20.

The case hole 41b shown in FIG. 4 may be formed in the lower part of the case 41. Alternatively, when a plurality of case hole portions 41 are formed, it is preferable that at least one case hole portion 41b is formed in the lower portion of the case 41. Since the case hole 41b is formed in the lower part of the case 41, it is possible to prevent oil from remaining inside the case 41.
<Example 2>

Next, Example 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 7 shows the oil pump 20A according to the second embodiment. In the oil pump 20A according to the second embodiment, the thermo valve 40A is attached to the housing 30A (main body 31). Other basic configurations are the same as those of the oil pump according to the first embodiment. For the parts common to the first embodiment, reference numerals are used and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

See FIG. 8 (a). The housing 30A has a case insertion hole 31e into which the case 41 of the thermo valve 40A is inserted, and a lid insertion hole 31f into which the actuator lid 45 is inserted. The lid insertion hole 31f is formed in a female screw shape, and the actuator lid portion 45 having a male screw shape on the outer periphery is screwed into the lid portion insertion hole 31f. As a result, the thermo valve 40A is directly attached to the housing 30A.

The case hole portion 41b has a smaller diameter or cross-sectional area than the housing hole portion 31d.

The oil pump 20A according to the second embodiment also exhibits the predetermined effect of the present invention.

See also FIG. 8 (b). As the housing 30A of the oil pump 20A, a cast product is usually adopted. On the other hand, a cast product is also adopted for the case 41 of the thermo valve 40A. In order to make the size of the housing hole 31d of the housing 30A accurate, it is necessary to machine the housing 30A having a large and complicated shape in a fixed state so as not to move, which is not preferable. On the other hand, the case hole 41b formed in the case 41 can be easily fixed because the case 41 is small and has a simple shape, and can be easily machined to an accurate size. By making the case hole 41b smaller than the housing hole 31d, the amount of oil flowing into the bypass flow path 12 (see FIG. 1) is defined by the size (cross-sectional area) of the case hole 41b. .. Since the case hole portion 41b can be easily made into a predetermined size, it is preferable to define the flow rate by the case hole portion 41b from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost. On the other hand, by making the housing hole portion 31d larger than the case hole portion 41b, it is not necessary to cut it to an accurate size in another process. This point also contributes to the reduction of manufacturing cost.

Further, the thermo valve 40A is positioned so that at least a part thereof straddles the rotation shaft portion 22 in the front view. By arranging the parts in close proximity to each other, the oil pump 20 can be miniaturized, and in particular, the dimension in the lateral (width) direction in the drawing can be minimized.

Further, in the thermo valve 40A, the actuator main body 51 is arranged at a position where at least a part of the suction port 32a or the discharge port 32b formed in the housing 30A overlaps with respect to the front view of the oil pump 20. As a result, the oil can be linearly guided from the suction port 32a or the discharge port 32b to the thermo valve 40A. Therefore, the oil pump 20 can be made compact. Further, since the thermo valve 40A can be adjacent to the suction port 32a or the discharge port 32b through which the oil passes, the oil can be brought into contact with the actuator body 51 more. As a result, the thermoactuator 50 can be operated more reliably.

Although the oil pump according to the present invention has been described based on an example in which oil is circulated in the engine of a vehicle, it is also possible to circulate oil in a part other than the engine such as an automatic transmission of the vehicle, and a vehicle other than the vehicle. It can also be used for structures other than vehicles and vehicles. It is applicable as long as the thermo valve controls the flow rate to the bypass flow path according to the temperature of the oil, and is not limited to these types.

As for the type of oil pump, not only the internal gear pump but also the external gear pump, the vane pump, the piston pump, etc., the oil delivery means such as the gear, the vane, and the piston is rotated by the rotating shaft to send the oil. If it is a pump, it has the same effect as that of the embodiment.

That is, the present invention is not limited to the examples as long as the actions and effects of the present invention are exhibited.

The oil pump of the present invention is suitable for circulating oil in the engine of a vehicle.

10 ... Oil flow path 11 ... Main flow path 12 ... Bypass flow path 20, 20A ... Oil pump 22 ... Rotating shaft 25 ... Oil delivery means 30, 30A ... Housing 31d ... Housing hole 40, 40A ... Thermo valve 41 ... Case 41b ... Case hole 43 ... Valve body 100 ... Oil pump integrated device

Claims (5)

It is used in the main flow path through which oil flows and in the oil flow path having a bypass flow path that bypasses the main flow path and is connected to the oil pan .
The housing contains a rotating shaft portion and an oil delivery means that is rotated by the rotating shaft portion to deliver oil, and the oil is sent to the bypass flow path when the temperature of the oil is high. It has a thermo valve that shuts off the flow and allows the oil to flow to the bypass flow path when the temperature of the oil is low.
The housing has a hole-shaped housing hole that leads to the bypass flow path.
The thermo valve is an oil pump having a case and a valve body that can move in the case.
The case has a case hole facing the housing hole.
The thermo valve is an oil pump characterized in that it is arranged along a horizontal axis at a position lower than the rotation shaft portion. The oil pump according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the thermo valve is located directly below the rotating shaft portion in a front view. Before SL case hole section, an oil pump according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein less than the housing bore. It further has a pressure valve that controls the flow rate of the oil flowing into the bypass flow path by the pressure of the oil.
The oil pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least a part of the pressure valve overlaps the thermo valve or the valve cover portion of the housing when viewed from the front. It is used in the main flow path through which oil flows and in the oil flow path having a bypass flow path that bypasses the main flow path and is connected to the oil pan .
In an oil pump integrated device in which an oil pump for circulating the oil is integrally provided.
The oil pump includes a rotating shaft portion and an oil delivery means that is rotated by the rotating shaft portion to deliver the oil in a housing.
The housing blocks the flow of the oil to the bypass flow path when the temperature of the oil is high, and allows the flow of the oil to the bypass flow path when the temperature of the oil is low. Thermo valve is stored,
The housing has a hole-shaped housing hole that leads to the bypass flow path.
The oil pump integrated device is characterized in that the thermo valve is arranged along a horizontal axis at a position below the rotating shaft portion.

Images