Internal-combustion engines – Lubricators – Crankcase – pressure control
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-01
2001-11-13
Kamen, Noah P. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Lubricators
Crankcase, pressure control
C123S1960CP, C123S19800E
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314934
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lubricating device for an internal combustion engine that incorporates a dry sump type lubricating structure. An oil pump of the present invention incorporates a feed pump and a scavenging pump particularly intended to reduce size and weight dimensions and to offer an increase in pumping capacity.
2. Background Art
A dry sump type oil pump used for an internal combustion engine, including a feed pump and a scavenging pump, has been shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. Hei 1-179109 and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 2-9904. The former document discloses a feed pump and a scavenging pump which are separately provided.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 2-9904 discloses a dry sump type lubricating device including a feed pump for supplying oil from an oil tank to portions of an engine requiring lubrication, and a scavenging pump for supplying oil that has been used for lubrication and has accumulated on the bottom of the engine to an oil tank. However, in this conventional arrangement, a feed pump and a scavenging pump are separately provided. This device further includes a relief valve provided in a discharge side passage of the feed pump, wherein a discharge port of the relief valve is communicated with a discharge side passage of the scavenging pump via a special passage.
However, since the feed pump and scavenging pump are provided as separate pumps, each of the aforementioned conventional systems suffers from the following shortcomings. First, the required number of parts is correspondingly increased with these conventional systems. In addition, the size and weight of the entire oil system is increased in the conventional systems. Furthermore, the structure and manufacturing process of the oil system is complicated with these conventional systems.
A vehicle running on a rough road or a steep slope, such as a four wheeled buggy or all-terrain vehicle, is often advantageously equipped with dry sump lubrication to ensure a minimum ground clearance and to reduce the center of gravity of the vehicle. However, with the aforementioned types of arrangements, an oil pan's structure must be designed with consideration of the inclination of the vehicular body during operation. This limits the degree of freedom in the design of an oil sump structure such as an oil pan. For example, the oil sump structure cannot be formed into a large irregular shape that potentially reduces clearance under conditions wherein the vehicle is inclined or operated on a steep slope.
This additional consideration results in additional design and manufacturing limitations for the designer. Accordingly, the present invention is aimed at solving the above-described problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings associated with the prior art and achieves other advantages not realized by the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a lubrication device for a dry sump type lubricated internal combustion engine that is compact in size and facilitates manufacture and assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a lubrication device for a dry sump type lubricated internal combustion engine that is capable of reliably pumping oil throughout extreme vehicle operating conditions and inclinations.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a lubrication device for a dry sump type lubricated internal combustion engine that is more compact than conventional systems and offers greater pumping capacity.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a lubrication device for a dry sump type lubricated internal combustion engine that permits a vehicle minimum ground clearance that is unaffected by oil pan arrangement.
These and other objects are achieved by an oil pump for an internal combustion engine comprising a main feed pump for supplying oil from an oil tank to a plurality of portions of the engine requiring lubrication; a main scavenging pump for returning oil accumulating on a bottom of the engine to said oil tank, said feed pump and said scavenging pump being integrally assembled; a rotor of said main feed pump; a rotor of said main scavenging pump, each rotor disposed in parallel and on a common drive shaft; and at least one additional sub-scavenging pump, each additional sub-scavenging pump provided with a respective rotor integrally assembled and disposed in parallel on said common drive shaft
These and other objects are achieved by an oil pump for an internal combustion engine comprising a feed pump for supplying oil from an oil tank to a plurality of portions of the engine requiring lubrication; a scavenging pump for returning oil accumulating on a bottom of the engine to said oil tank, said feed pump and said scavenging pump being integrally assembled; a rotor of said feed pump; a rotor of said scavenging pump, each rotor disposed in parallel and on a common drive shaft; and at least one additional feed pump, each additional feed pump provided with a respective rotor integrally assembled and disposed in parallel on said common drive shaft.
These and other objects are further achieved by a a lubricating device for an internal combustion engine comprising an oil tank; an oil sump for said engine; a feed pump for supplying lubricating oil in said oil tank to a plurality of portions of an engine requiring lubrication; a scavenging pump for returning the lubricating oil accumulating in each oil sump of the engine to said oil tank, wherein said oil sump of the engine is divided into a plurality of sections; and at least one additional scavenging pump is provided corresponding to said plurality of sections of said oil sump.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5606943 (1997-03-01), Tamba et al.
patent: 6161515 (2000-12-01), Kopec
patent: 1179109 (1989-12-01), None
patent: 29904 (1990-01-01), None
patent: 220430 (2000-08-01), None
Eguchi Masataka
Ito Katsuhiko
Tawara Hideyuki
Yakigaya Nobuyuki
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Huynh Hai
Kamen Noah P.
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