Internal-combustion engines – Intake manifold – For in-line engine
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-11
2004-08-17
Argenbright, Tony M. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Intake manifold
For in-line engine
Reexamination Certificate
active
06776132
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an intake arrangement for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of a vehicle, and more specifically to an intake arrangement made of resin material.
There have been conventionally proposed intake manifolds which are made of not metal material such as aluminum but resin material in order to reduce the cost and the weight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The intake manifolds made of resin material, however, have less rigidity as compared with intake manifolds made of metal material. Therefore, if an impact load is applied to the engine room upon vehicle collision and the intake manifold made of resin material may become deformed, the deformed intake manifold will be urged toward a fuel pipe adjacent thereto so that the fuel pipe is deformed. Further, the intake manifold made of resin material will be readily vibrated because of the less rigidity. If the vibration produced in the intake manifold is transmitted to a fuel injector, fuel sprayed from the fuel injector will be prevented from being directed toward a target area of the fuel injection. This will cause deterioration in combustion properties.
It would threrefore be desirable to provide an intake arrangement for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle in which a protector for a fuel pipe is used. The protector is deformed so as to protect a fuel pipe upon applying an impact load to the intake arrangement, such as at the occurrence of vehicle collision. Owing to the deformation of the protector, the impact load applied to the intake arrangement can be reduced, and the fuel pipe can be prevented from being deformed. Further, it would be desirable to provide an intake arrangement for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle which can be enhanced in rigidity by using a protector for a fuel pipe. The intake arrangement having the enhanced rigidity can reduce vibration caused therein, serving for preventing the fuel pipe and a fuel injector from suffering from the vibration transmitted from the intake arrangement.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an intake arrangement for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the engine having a row of cylinders, the arrangement comprising:
an intake manifold including a collector adapted to extend along a direction of the row of the cylinders and a branch portion communicated with the collector, the intake manifold being adapted to introduce air to the cylinders via the collector and the branch portion, the branch portion having a downstream end portion allowing the air to be introduced into the cylinders;
a fuel pipe disposed at the downstream end portion of the branch portion, the fuel pipe extending along the collector; and
a protector secured to the downstream end portion of the branch portion, the protector extending along the fuel pipe between the branch portion and the fuel pipe, the protector being deformable to cover the fuel pipe upon an impact load being applied to the branch portion.
In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an intake arrangement for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the engine having a row of cylinders, the intake arrangement comprising:
an intake manifold including branch means for allowing a flow of air to be divided into branch flows introduced into the cylinders;
pipe means for supplying fuel to the cylinders on a downstream side of the branch means; and
protector means for preventing the pipe means from being deformed upon an impact load being applied to the branch means, the protector means being deformable to cover the pipe means upon the application of the impact load.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4909221 (1990-03-01), Heuser
patent: 5353752 (1994-10-01), Suzuki
patent: 5630387 (1997-05-01), Kamiyama
patent: 5771863 (1998-06-01), Daly
patent: 5927254 (1999-07-01), Ino et al.
patent: 11-324842 (1999-11-01), None
Kudo Yuji
Murata Masahiro
Ali Hyder
Argenbright Tony M.
Foley & Lardner LLP
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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