TWI863221B - Vehicle crankcase device - Google Patents

Abstract

A crankcase device for a vehicle includes a first case, a second case that defines an inner space with an oil storage tank at the bottom together with the first case, an oil guide pipe extending from the oil storage tank and defining an oil transmission passage, a tank wall defining an oil collection area connected to the oil transmission passage, an oil guide pipe defining an oil suction passage connected to the oil collection area, and an oil pump disposed on a side of the oil suction passage away from the oil collection area. The oil guide pipe has an oil inlet connected to the oil storage tank and located in the first case, and the oil collection area is located in the second case and spaced from the oil inlet. The lubricating oil returning from various parts of the vehicle will be concentrated in the oil storage tank, and then enter the transmission oil channel from the oil inlet, and then be reintroduced after flowing to the oil collection area, so that the lubricating oil can be fully mixed and ensure proper circulation.

Description

Vehicle crankcase device

The present invention relates to a vehicle shell component, in particular to a vehicle crankcase device.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a conventional crankcase device 1 includes a body 11 surrounding an inner space 110, an oil sump 12 connected to the bottom of the body 11 and defining an oil storage area 120 connected to the inner space 110, and a suction module 13 extending to the oil storage area 120 and used to suck the lubricating oil in the oil storage area 120. The body 11 includes a left case portion 111 and a right case portion 112 assembled with each other, and the suction module 13 includes an oil suction pipe 131 disposed in the right case portion 112 and having an oil suction port 139 connected to the oil storage area 120, and an oil pump 132 disposed on the oil suction pipe 131. The lubricating oil circulating in the inner space 110 will adhere to the target component and then fall into the oil storage area 120, ready to be extracted by the suction module 13, and then reintroduced to the component that needs lubrication through the oil extraction pipe 131 by the oil pump 132.

However, the parts that need to be lubricated by the lubricating oil may be located at the position of the left tank part 111 or at the position of the right tank part 112, and the lubricating oil that adheres to the parts at various places and then drips downward may drip to different positions of the oil storage area 120 when it flows back to the oil storage area 120. At this time, since the oil suction port 139 is located near the right tank part 112, the lubricating oil that lubricates the parts in the right tank part 112 and flows back to the oil storage area 120 near the right tank part 112 will inevitably be sucked by the suction module 13 faster than the lubricating oil near the left tank part 111. If the lubricating oil is not fully mixed in the oil storage area 120 before being reintroduced into the lubricating parts, it is possible that only a portion of the lubricating oil is circulated. Even if the left box part 111 and the right box part 112 are used to lubricate different parts, the temperature difference that may occur when the lubricating oil flows back to the oil storage area 120 is even more likely to cause poor circulation of the lubricating oil. If all the lubricating oil cannot be completely and evenly circulated inside, the degree of deterioration of the lubricating oil during use will be inconsistent, which will not only have an adverse effect on the lubricating effect of the parts, but also make it more difficult to grasp the timing of replacing the lubricating oil.

[Problems to be solved by the present invention]

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a crankcase device for a vehicle that can properly circulate lubricating oil.

[Technical means to solve the problem]

Therefore, the crankcase device of the vehicle of the present invention comprises a first case body, a second case body assembled with the first case body to define an inner space having an oil storage tank at the bottom, an oil guide pipe extending from the oil storage tank and spaced apart from the bottoms of the first case body and the second case body and in a hollow shape to define an oil transmission passage, a groove wall connected to the oil guide pipe and defining an oil collection area connected to the oil transmission passage, an oil guide pipe connected to the groove wall and defining an oil suction passage connected to the oil collection area, and an oil pump disposed on one side of the oil suction passage away from the oil collection area. The oil guide pipe has at least one oil inlet connected to the oil storage tank and located in the first case body, and the oil collection area is located in the second case body and spaced apart from the at least one oil inlet.

In some embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of the oil collecting area is at a level lower than that of the transmission oil channel.

Some embodiments of the present invention are suitable for a crankshaft to pass through, wherein at least a portion of the oil collecting area is located within the longitudinal projection range of the crankshaft.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the oil suction passage of the oil guide pipe has an oil suction port facing the oil collecting area, and the oil guide pipe has a filter screen disposed at the oil suction port.

Some embodiments of the present invention are suitable for a crankshaft to pass through, and the crankcase device of the vehicle further includes a baffle disposed in the inner space and located below the crankshaft.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the at least one oil inlet of the oil guide pipe faces downward.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the oil guide pipe is disposed in the first box and the second box in a transversely extending manner.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the oil guide pipe is disposed in the second box in a longitudinally extending manner.

In some embodiments of the present invention, at least one of the first housing and the second housing has a drain hole penetrating and connected to the oil storage tank, and a drain plug detachably sealing the drain hole.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the groove wall has a through hole penetrating from the bottom and connected to the oil collecting area, and an oil plug that detachably seals the through hole.

[Effects that can be achieved by the present invention]

The lubricating oil returning from various parts of the vehicle will drip into the oil storage tank for collection, and then enter the transmission oil channel from the oil inlet, and then flow from the transmission oil channel to the oil collection area, and then be redirected from the oil collection area to the parts to be lubricated. During the flow of the lubricating oil, it can ensure that the lubricating oil returning from various parts is fully mixed, and will not be sucked and introduced into the circulation immediately after returning to the oil storage tank. Therefore, the lubricating oil can be properly circulated in the vehicle while maintaining the efficiency of rapid oil absorption.

In some embodiments of the present invention, because the level of the oil collecting area is lower than that of the transmission oil passage, and the oil collecting area is located at the relative center of the vehicle, even if the vehicle is tilted while driving, the lubricating oil will naturally flow from the transmission oil passage into the oil collecting area due to gravity, and then be smoothly sucked up by the oil pump through the suction oil passage and guided to various components.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the filter can filter impurities in the lubricating oil to prevent the impurities from being introduced into the machine parts and causing wear, and ensure the lubricating effect of the lubricating oil.

In some embodiments of the present invention, when the crankshaft rotates, the baffle can prevent lubricating oil splashing caused by a structure such as a counterweight block contacting the lubricating oil level in the oil storage tank.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the feature that the at least one oil inlet is opened downwardly can prevent impurities in the lubricating oil from easily entering upward into the transmission oil channel.

In some embodiments of the present invention, when the lubricating oil needs to be replaced or related maintenance is performed, the drain plug can be removed to allow the lubricating oil to flow out from the drain hole, and the oil plug can also be removed to allow the lubricating oil to flow out from the through hole.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, an embodiment of the crankcase device 2 of the vehicle of the present invention is shown. The present embodiment is suitable for a crankshaft 9 to be passed through (see FIG. 5), and comprises a first case 21, a second case 22 assembled with the first case 21 to define an inner space 20 having an oil storage tank 201 at the bottom, and a second case 22 extending transversely to the oil storage tank 201 and spaced from the bottom of the first case 21 and the second case 22 and forming a hollow shape to define an inner space 20 having an oil storage tank 201 at the bottom. An oil guide pipe 23 of a transmission oil passage 230, a groove wall 24 connected to the oil guide pipe 23 and defining an oil collecting area 240 connected to the transmission oil passage 230, an oil guide pipe 25 connected to the groove wall 24 and defining a suction oil passage 250 connected to the oil collecting area 240, an oil pump 26 arranged on one side of the suction oil passage 250 away from the oil collecting area 240, and a baffle 27 arranged in the inner space 20 and located below the crankshaft 9.

It should be noted that in this embodiment, the lubricating oil is introduced into the inner space 20. The specific method of introducing the lubricating oil is irrelevant to the problem to be solved and the effect required by the present invention. A dedicated lubricating oil introduction port can be configured in accordance with the design of the vehicle. The relevant details will not be described in detail. In addition, the crankshaft 9 is inserted through a crankshaft mounting hole 90 of the first case 21 and the second case 22 as shown in FIG. 5, so as to be positioned in this embodiment. During the operation of the crankshaft 9, even if a larger structure such as a counterweight comes into contact with the liquid surface of the lubricating oil in the oil storage tank 201, part of the lubricating oil splashing upward will be blocked by the baffle 27, thereby preventing the operation of the crankshaft 9 from being affected, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the vehicle.

Referring again to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , the first housing 21 has a drain hole 208 that penetrates and communicates with the oil storage tank 201, and a drain plug 209 that detachably closes the drain hole 208. The lubricating oil introduced into the inner space 20 will inevitably deteriorate after a period of use. When the lubricating oil is to be replaced or the lubricating oil in the inner space 20 is to be drained to perform related maintenance, the drain plug 209 can be removed to drain the lubricating oil in the inner space 20 from the drain hole 208. It should be particularly noted that the configuration positions of the drain hole 208 and the drain plug 209 can be freely selected to be easier to reach and perform operations in accordance with the design of the vehicle or the configuration of peripheral components. Specifically, the drain hole 208 and the drain plug 209 may also be disposed on the second box 22 .

Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 in conjunction with FIG. 3 , the oil guide pipe 23 is disposed in the first housing 21 and the second housing 22 in a transversely extending manner, and has an oil inlet 231 connected to the oil storage tank 201 and located in the first housing 21. Regardless of whether the lubricating oil drips back to the oil storage tank 201 from one side of the first housing 21 or from one side of the second housing 22, the oil inlet 231 is generally located at the position where the first housing 21 and the second housing 22 are combined with each other, so the lubricating oil can be evenly mixed in the oil storage tank 201 before entering the transmission oil passage 230 from the oil inlet 231. Accordingly, since the lubricating oil guided back to the oil storage tank 201 from various parts of the vehicle can enter the transmission oil channel 230 after being evenly mixed, even if the lubricating oil flows through different components and thus causes different temperatures when dripping into the oil storage tank 201, it is easier to evenly mix in the oil storage tank 201 to achieve a uniform temperature. Furthermore, since the oil guide pipe 23 is disposed near the oil storage tank 201, when the amount of lubricating oil is sufficient, the lubricating oil level in the oil storage tank 201 can cover at least a portion of the oil guide pipe 23, and the lubricating oil can continue to have the opportunity to exchange heat and cold, and present a more appropriate temperature before being reintroduced into circulation, thereby preventing the lubricating oil from deteriorating too quickly due to a portion of the lubricating oil being continuously maintained at a high temperature.

It is worth mentioning that, since the oil inlet 231 faces downward, even if the lubricating oil inevitably contains impurities as it flows through the machine parts, the impurities will settle downward due to their higher density than the lubricating oil, and it is less likely to enter the transmission oil channel 230 upward from the oil inlet 231.

The groove wall 24 has a through hole 241 penetrating from the bottom and connected to the oil collecting area 240, and an oil plug 242 detachably closing the through hole 241. The oil collecting area 240 is located in the second housing 22 and is spaced apart from the oil inlet 231, and as shown in FIG6 , is located within the longitudinal projection range of the crankshaft 9, that is, approximately located in the center of the vehicle. In addition, at least a portion of the oil collecting area 240 is lower in level than the transmission oil passage 230, that is, the oil collecting area 240 is located downstream of the transmission oil passage 230 extending approximately horizontally, so that the lubricating oil in the transmission oil passage 230 can naturally flow to the oil collecting area 240 without the need for additional special power introduction. When it is necessary to perform related maintenance operations such as replacing the lubricating oil or inspecting the lubricating mechanism, the oil plug 242 can be removed to remove the lubricating oil in the inner space 20 through the through hole 241 connected to the oil collecting area 240.

The oil guide pipe 25 is disposed in the second housing 22 and extends longitudinally. The oil suction passage 250 of the oil guide pipe 25 has an oil suction port 251 facing the oil collecting area 240, and the oil guide pipe 25 has a filter 252 disposed at the oil suction port 251. Therefore, the lubricating oil collected in the oil collecting area 240 can be filtered out of impurities by the filter 252, and then pass through the oil suction port 251 due to the suction power of the oil pump 26, and be redirected from the oil suction passage 250 to various components in the vehicle, thereby achieving the operation process of lubricating the lubricating oil to lubricate the parts. After being attached to the lubricating object, the lubricating oil will drip downward again due to gravity until it is mixed in the oil storage tank 201 to prepare for the next round of lubrication cycle.

It should be further explained that, by designing the oil collecting area 240 to collect the lubricating oil at a relatively low position, even if the present embodiment tilts left or right or front or back due to the driving of the vehicle, it will not affect the operation of the lubricating oil from the oil collecting area 240 into the suction oil passage 250, thereby ensuring the smooth circulation of the lubricating oil and thus making the vehicle equipped with the lubricating oil have better lubrication performance.

In summary, the embodiment of the crankcase device 2 of the vehicle of the present invention can make the lubricating oil in the inner space 20 drip into the oil storage tank 201 after being attached to various parts, and in the process of entering the transmission oil passage 230 from the oil storage tank 201 through the oil inlet 231, and then flowing into the oil collection area 240 and being redirected to various parts through the suction oil passage 250, the purpose of uniformly mixing the lubricating oil is achieved. Before the lubricating oil is directed to various parts, the whole can also be completely exchanged between cold and heat to present an appropriate temperature, so that the lubricating oil can be properly circulated and the performance of the lubricating parts can be optimized. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention can be achieved.

However, the above is only an example of the implementation of the present invention, and it should not be used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. All simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention and the content of the patent specification are still within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

2··············· Crankcase device 20············· Inner space 201··········· Oil storage tank 208··········· Drain hole 209············ Drain plug 21·············· First case 22·············· Second case 23··············· Oil guide pipe 230············ Transmission oil channel 231············ Oil inlet 24··············· Groove wall 240············ Oil collecting area 241··········· Through hole 242············ Oil plug 25············· Oil guide pipe 250············ Oil suction channel 251············ Oil suction port 252············ Filter 26·············· Oil pump 27·············· Baffle 9··············· Crankshaft 90·············· Crankshaft mounting hole V·············· Up and down direction

Other features and functions of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an existing crankcase device; FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an embodiment of the crankcase device of the vehicle of the present invention installed on the vehicle; FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional exploded view illustrating a first housing and a second housing of the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the mutual assembly of the first housing and the second housing, as well as an oil guide pipe, a groove wall, and an oil guide pipe of the present embodiment; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but with a different cutting depth from FIG. 4, illustrating the installation of a crankshaft in the first housing and the second housing; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view from a different viewing angle than FIG. 5 , illustrating the relative position of an oil collecting area and the crankshaft; and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of guiding the circulation of lubricating oil in this embodiment.

20············· Inner space 201··········· Oil storage tank 21············· First housing 22············· Second housing 23············· Oil guide pipe 230············ Transmission oil channel 231············ Oil inlet 24·············· Groove wall 240············ Oil collecting area 25·············· Oil guide pipe 250············ Suction oil channel 251············· Oil suction port 252··········· Filter 26············· Oil pump 27············· Baffle V··············· Up and down direction

Claims (10)

A crankcase device for a vehicle comprises a first case body, a second case body assembled with the first case body to define an inner space having an oil storage tank at the bottom, an oil guide pipe extending in the oil storage tank and spaced apart from the bottoms of the first case body and the second case body and being hollow to define an oil transmission passage, a groove wall connected to the oil guide pipe and defining an oil collecting area connected to the oil transmission passage, an oil lead pipe connected to the groove wall and defining an oil suction passage connected to the oil collecting area, and an oil pump arranged on one side of the oil suction passage away from the oil collecting area, wherein the oil guide pipe has at least one oil inlet connected to the oil storage tank and located in the first case body, and the oil collecting area is located in the second case body and spaced apart from the at least one oil inlet. A crankcase device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the oil collecting area is at a level lower than that of the transmission oil channel. The crankcase device of the vehicle as described in claim 1 is suitable for allowing a crankshaft to pass through, wherein at least a portion of the oil collecting area is located within the longitudinal projection range of the crankshaft. A crankcase device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the oil suction passage of the oil guide pipe has an oil suction port facing the oil collecting area, and the oil guide pipe has a filter screen arranged at the oil suction port. The crankcase device of the vehicle as described in claim 1 is suitable for allowing a crankshaft to pass through, and also includes a baffle arranged in the inner space and located below the crankshaft. A crankcase device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein at least one oil inlet of the oil guide pipe faces downward. A crankcase device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the oil guide pipe is arranged in the first case and the second case so as to extend laterally. A crankcase device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the oil guide pipe is disposed in the second housing so as to extend longitudinally. A crankcase device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first case and the second case has a drain hole that penetrates and connects to the oil storage tank, and a drain plug that detachably closes the drain hole. A crankcase device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the groove wall has a through hole penetrating from the bottom and connected to the oil collecting area, and an oil plug that detachably closes the through hole.

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