Internal-combustion engines – Intake manifold – For in-line engine
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-01
2003-11-11
Kamen, Noah P. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Intake manifold
For in-line engine
Reexamination Certificate
active
06644260
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an intake manifold formed by bonding a plurality of parts made of synthetic resin to one another, and including a surge tank disposed sideways of an engine body, and a plurality of intake pipes disposed in parallel to one another and each having a rising pipe portion which is connected to a lower portion of the surge tank on a side opposite from the engine body, and extends upwards, a space being defined between the surge tank and each of the rising pipe portions, as viewed sideways in a direction parallel to a direction of arrangement of the intake pipes.
BACKGROUND ART
Such an intake manifold is already known, for example, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.10-299591 and the like. In such intake manifold, the surge tank is formed to have a rectangular cross section longer in a direction of arrangement of a plurality of intake pipes, and a space is defined between the surge tank and a rising pipe of each of the intake pipes connected to a lower portion of the surge tank to extend in the direction of arrangement of the intake pipes with its opposite ends opened.
In the intake manifold having the above-described structure, the space between the surge tank and the rising pipe portion of each intake pipe is not utilized effectively, and to increase the volume of the surge tank, while avoiding an increase in size of the intake manifold, it is necessary to effectively utilize the space.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an intake manifold designed so that the volume of a surge tank can be increased, while avoiding an increase in size of the intake manifold.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect and feature of the present invention, there is provided an intake manifold formed by bonding a plurality of bonded parts made of synthetic resin to one another, and including a surge tank disposed sideways of an engine body, and a plurality of intake pipes disposed in parallel to one another and each having a rising pipe portion which is connected to a lower portion of the surge tank on a side opposite from the engine body, and extends upwards, a space being defined between the surge tank and each of the rising pipe portions, as viewed sideways in a direction parallel to a direction of arrangement of the intake pipes, characterized in that the surge tank includes a main tank portion extending in the direction of arrangement of the intake pipes and opposed to the rising pipe portions of the intake pipes, and a sideways-bulged portion which is bulged to a side opposite from the engine body from an intermediate portion of the main tank portion as viewed in the arrangement direction to form a cross-sectional T-shape by cooperation with the main tank portion, the sideways-bulged portion being interposed between the rising pipe portions of a pair of the intake pipes disposed at the intermediate portion as viewed in the arrangement direction, and inner ends of a pair of spaces defined respectively between the rising pipe portions of the intake pipes and the main tank portion on opposite sides of the sideways-bulged portion are closed by opposite sidewalls of the sideways-bulged portion.
With such arrangement of the first feature, the cross-sectional shape of the surge tank is a T-shape in such a manner the space defined between the surge tank and the rising pipe portion of each of the intake pipes as viewed sideways in the direction parallel to the direction of arrangement of the intake pipes is bisected. Thus, notwithstanding that the spaces similar to those in the prior art as viewed sideways exist between the surge tank and the rising pipe portions, a portion sandwiched between the spaces can be utilized effectively as a portion of the surge tank, whereby the volume of the surge tank can be increased, while avoiding an increase in size of the entire intake manifold. Moreover, the opposite sidewalls of the sideways-bulged portion forming a portion of the surge tank are disposed at locations displaced inwards from opposite ends of the intake manifold in the direction of arrangement of the intake pipes and hence, a radiated sound from each of the opposite sidewalls of the sideways-bulged portion can be prevented as much as possible from being leaked to the outside.
According to a second aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the sideways-bulged portion, the rising pipe portions of the intake pipes and the main tank portion are connected together by connecting walls disposed in the spaces respectively. With such arrangement, the rigidity of the surge tank and the intake pipes can be increased, and the radiated sound from the intake manifold can be reduced. Moreover, since the connecting walls are disposed in the spaces, the size of the intake manifold cannot be increased due to the provision of the connecting walls.
According to a third aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the second feature, a plurality of the intake pipes are disposed on each of the opposite sides of the sideways-bulged portion, the rising pipe portions of such plurality of intake pipes being connected to each other by the connecting walls. With such arrangement, the rigidity of the plurality of intake pipes is increased and hence, the radiated sound from each of the intake pipes can be reduced.
According to a fourth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the second or third feature, the connecting walls are disposed on a plane intersecting a junction between the parts bonded to each other. With such arrangement, the bond rigidity of the junction at portions corresponding to the connecting walls can be increased.
According to a fifth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to any of the second, third and fourth features, a pair of connecting walls are disposed in the space at locations such that the volume of a space portion between a ceiling wall of the space and one of the connecting walls, the volume of a space portion between both of the connecting walls and the volume of a space portion between a bottom wall of the space and the other connecting wall are different from one another. With such arrangement, it is possible to provide an excellent effect of attenuating the radiated sound from the intake manifold.
According to a sixth aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, a lattice-shaped rib is projectingly provided on an outer surface of an end wall of the sideways-bulged portion to connect the rising pipe portions on opposite sides of the sideways-bulged portion to each other, the rib being connected to junctions between the plurality of bonded parts forming at least a portion of the surge tank. With such arrangement, the connection rigidity of the surge tank and both of the intake pipes can be increased remarkably by the lattice-shaped rib. Thus, it is possible to increase the entire rigidity of the intake manifold to reduce the radiated sound. In addition, the rigidity of at least a portion of each of the junctions included in the intake manifold can be further increased by the connection of the rib to the junctions between the plurality of bonded parts forming at least a portion of the surge tank.
According to a seventh aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the surge tank further includes a pair of downward-bulged portions bulged downwards from opposite ends of the main tank portion and connected to lower ends of the rising pipe portions, and a lattice-shaped rib is projectingly provided on an outer surface of a bottom wall of the central portion of the surge tank sandwiched between the downward-bulged portions to connect the downward-bulged portions to each other, the lattice-shaped rib being connected to a junction between the plurality of bonded parts forming at least a portion of the surge tank. With such arrangement, the lattice
Akiyama Yoshihiro
Maruyama Masashi
Tsukii Tsutomu
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Kamen Noah P.
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