Engine with torque converter

Details Engine with torque converter Engine with torque converter

2001-07-27

2003-10-14

Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)

Motor vehicles

Power

Having specific motor-to-body-frame relationship

C180S908000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06631780

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine with a torque converter, and more particularly, to an engine with a torque converter mounted on an all terrain saddle-seat vehicle.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 6
to
FIG. 8
are views of a first example of a conventional art.
FIG. 6
is a front view of an engine for a conventional vehicle, illustrating an inner portion of the engine with the front case cover removed.
FIG. 7
is a transverse cross section of a crankcase of the engine, viewed from the front, and illustrating the positions of respective rotation axes.
FIG. 8
is a sectional view taken along line B—B of FIG.
7
.
The engine is mounted on a vehicle via a mounting boss
008
so that respective rotation axes are approximately parallel to an advancing direction of the vehicle. In
FIG. 6
, reference numeral
003
denotes a front crankcase, and
004
denotes a rear crankcase, and the respective rotation axes are rotatably supported by these crankcases. Reference numeral
002
denotes a cylinder block coupled on the front and rear crankcases, which are integrally coupled with each other. Reference numeral
001
denotes a cylinder head coupled to the cylinder block
002
. Reference numeral
020
denotes a crankshaft,
075
denotes a centrifugal start clutch provided on a front end of the crankshaft,
025
denotes a main shaft of a transmission, and
076
denotes a multi-disk type shift clutch provided on a front end of the main shaft. Reference numeral
028
denotes a drive shaft, and
040
denotes an oil pump.
In
FIG. 7
(a transverse cross section of the crankcase, seen from the front), a crankshaft
020
extending along a traveling direction of a vehicle, viewed from the front, is arranged slightly biased on a left side from the center of the crankcase. The main shaft
025
and a countershaft
026
of the transmission are arranged in that order rightwardly of the crankshaft
020
. A reverse shaft
027
is arranged above a mid-position between the main shaft
025
and the countershaft
026
. The drive shaft
028
is arranged below the countershaft
026
. These shafts are arranged parallel to the crankshaft
020
, and rotatably supported on the front crankcase
003
and the rear crankcase
004
.
A camshaft
029
driven by chains from the crankshaft
020
is arranged diagonally left of and above the crankshaft
020
. A balance shaft
030
driven by gears from the crankshaft
020
is arranged below the camshaft
029
. A shift drum
031
is arranged below the main shaft
025
and leftward of the drive shaft
028
. The shift drum
031
is located at a central lower section inside the crankcase. The camshaft
029
, balance shaft
030
, and shift drum
031
are supported rotatably on the front crankcase
003
and the rear crankcase
004
. Reference numeral
040
denotes an oil pump provided in front of the balance shaft
030
.
FIG. 8
shows a sectional view taken on line B—B of
FIG. 7. A
left hand side in
FIG. 8
shows a front portion of the engine, and a right hand side in
FIG. 8
shows a rear portion of an engine. In
FIG. 8
, the oil pump
040
is directly connected to an end section of the balance shaft
030
, and penetrates the front crankcase
003
. The oil pump
040
is provided in front of the balance shaft
030
in front of the front crankcase
003
. When the engine is in an operation state, the oil pump is integrally rotatably driven with the balance shaft
030
, and feeds lubricating oil to an oil filter
056
. The lubricating oil passed through the oil filter
056
is fed to a lubricating section of the engine and the transmission. Reference numeral
075
denotes the centrifugal type start clutch which is located in front of the crankshaft
020
.
FIG.
9
and
FIG. 10
are views of a Japanese Examined Patent Publication H7-33763, and relates to a second example of the conventional art.
FIG. 9
is a longitudinal cross section of the crankcase of a V type engine for a motorcycle, seen from the side.
FIG. 10
is a sectional view taken along line C—C of FIG.
9
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, a crankshaft
081
, a main shaft
082
, a countershaft
083
, a drive shaft
084
, and a shift drum
085
are arranged inside of a crankcase
080
. The main shaft
082
, countershaft
083
, drive shaft
084
, and shift drum
085
are arranged to constitute a transmission and a power transmission mechanism. All of these shaft groups are arranged in a direction perpendicular to an advancing direction of the vehicle. Reference numeral
090
denotes an oil pump provided at a position overlapping with the shift drum
085
.
FIG. 10
is a transverse cross section of the crankcase, seen from the rear. In
FIG. 10
, reference numeral
080
L denotes a left crankcase, and
080
R denotes a right crankcase.
FIG. 10
illustrates a state where both ends of the main shaft
082
are rotatably supported on the left and right crankcase
080
L and
080
R. One side surface
092
of a body
091
of the oil pump
090
is fixed to the right crankcase
080
R by a bolt or the like (not illustrated). On the other side surface
093
of the body
091
of the oil pump
090
, a bearing hole
094
is formed for rotatably supporting one end
086
of the shift drum
085
. The other end
087
of the shift drum
085
is rotatably supported on the left crankcase
080
L. A rotor
095
is installed inside the body
091
of the oil pump
090
, and an oil pump shaft
096
is connected to the rotor
095
. The oil pump shaft
096
penetrates the right crankcase
080
R and protrudes to an outer section. A driven gear
097
is provided at the end section of the oil pump shaft
096
. One end of the main shaft
082
penetrates the right crankcase
080
R and protrudes to an outer section thereof. At an end section of the main shaft
082
, a drive gear
088
is meshed with the driven gear
097
of the oil pump shaft
096
. The oil pump
090
is driven by rotation of the main shaft
082
. The shift drum
085
can be moved independently of the oil pump
090
. Reference numerals
089
L and
089
R in
FIG. 10
denote left and right side covers.
In the engine illustrated in the first example of the conventional art shown in
FIGS. 6-8
, the centrifugal start clutch
075
has been provided at a front end of the crankshaft
020
, and a multi-disk type shift clutch
076
has been provided at a front end of the main shaft of the transmission (refer to FIG.
6
). Further, the oil pump
040
has been provided at a front end of the balance shaft
030
. In order to enhance performance of a conventional engine, a torque converter is provided in place of the conventional centrifugal start clutch
075
. Further, in order to make an engine water cooled, a water pump is provided. When installing a double rotor type oil pump having a first rotor for feeding lubricating oil to a lubricating section and a second rotor for feeding lubricating oil to an oil cooler, the torque converter with a large diameter has occupied a space in front of the balance shaft. The space is insufficient as an installing place for the oil pump and the water pump. The oil pump and the water pump cannot be installed in front of the conventional balance shaft. Therefore, the width of the engine must be enlarged when positions of the balance shaft and the pump shaft, or the position of merely of the pump shaft, are moved laterally outward so as to avoid the torque converter.
In the engine illustrated in the second embodiment of the conventional art shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10
, the oil pump
090
is installed utilizing a dead space of an inner section of the crankcase, and the oil pump
090
is driven by the gear
097
outside the crankcase. If this arrangement is applied to an engine for a vehicle where a double rotor type oil pump is installed inside the crankcase, there is a drawback that for reasons of installing the oil pump inside the crankcase and having respectively oil delivery piping coming out from both rotors, the piping inside the crankcase becomes complicated. Since the gear
097
for driving the oil

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