Lubrication – Systems – Pump or pump systems mounting means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-30
2003-04-29
Schwartz, Christopher P. (Department: 3683)
Lubrication
Systems
Pump or pump systems mounting means
C123S1960CP, C184S006800
Reexamination Certificate
active
06554104
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lubrication structure for an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to a lubrication structure permitting optimum arrangement of lubrication system components and size reduction of an internal combustion engine for a vehicle.
2. Background Art
Generally, a lubrication system for an internal combustion engine guides oil from a pump chamber arranged near an inner side of the internal combustion engine to the oil filter arranged near the outer side of the internal combustion engine. An example of a similar arrangement is shown in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei. 9-88538.
FIG. 8
is a cross-sectional view of a section of an internal combustion engine taken in the vicinity of an oil pump shaft as found in the conventional art. A clutch cover
02
′ is joined to a right surface of a right crankcase
01
′. An oil pump shaft
04
′ is pivotally supported between the right crankcase
01
′ and the clutch cover
02
′ oriented in a lateral direction parallel to a crankshaft
03
′.
An oil pump
05
′ is provided at an end of this oil pump shaft
04
′ at the right crankcase
01
′ side, and is connected to an oil filter
06
′ provided in a manner projecting from the clutch cover
02
′ by an oil passageway
07
′.
The main oil passageway
07
′ is formed having an oil passageway
7
c
′ passing an oil passageway way
07
b
′ curving upwards from an oil passageway
07
a
′ extending to the left from the side surface of the pump chamber of the oil pump at the right crank case
01
′ side. The main oil passageway
07
′ curves vertically and extends in a lateral direction, the oil passageway
07
c
′ communicating with an oil passageway
07
d
′ on the clutch cover
02
′ side. At the end of the oil passageway
07
d
′ one branch passageway
07
e
′ branches upwards to an oil filter
6
′, and another branch passageway
07
f
′ is connected to an oil relief valve arranged between an oil pump shaft
04
′ and the oil passageway
07
d′.
Since the oil filter
06
′ is provided on the clutch cover
02
′ at the outside of the internal combustion engine, the degree of freedom of arrangement of the oil filter
06
′ is low, and oil passageways
07
a
′,
07
b
′,
07
c
′ guiding oil from the oil pump
05
′ provided at the right crank case
01
′ inside the internal combustion engine to the oil filter
06
′ detour in an open-ended square shape, making the passageway complicated and difficult to manufacture.
As the oil passageways
07
a
′,
07
b
′,
07
c
′,
07
d
′ form an open-ended square while detouring around the oil relief valve
08
′, a wide space is required to arrange the oil distribution route. Furthermore, this causes the oil filter
06
′ to be arranged in a further extended condition. These conditions make it further difficult to reduce the size of the internal combustion engine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings associated with the related art and achieves other advantages not realized by the related art.
An aspect of the present invention is to provide a lubrication structure for an internal combustion engine that permits a reduction in size of the internal combustion engine.
An additional aspect of the present invention is to provide a high degree of freedom with respect to oil filter arrangement that benefits from a simple oil passageway that is easy to process and requires relatively small spaces for arrangement.
These and other aspects of the present invention are accomplished by a lubrication structure for an internal combustion engine comprising an oil pump provided at a first end of an oil pump shaft, the oil pump shaft arranged in parallel with a crankshaft; a plurality of oil passageways extending from a side surface of a pump chamber of the oil pump to a second end of the oil pump shaft, the oil passageways arranged in parallel with the oil pump shaft; an oil filter positioned facing towards the oil passageways; and an oil communicating passageway extending vertically from a first oil passageway to the oil filter.
These and other aspects of the present invention are accomplished by a lubrication structure for an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine including a crankcase divided into a left crankcase and a right crankcase along a longitudinal centerline, and having a crankshaft arranged transversely therein, the lubrication structure comprising an oil pump having a pump chamber provided at a first end of an oil pump shaft, the oil pump shaft arranged in parallel with the crankshaft; a plurality of oil passageways extending from a side surface of the pump chamber of the oil pump to a second end of the oil pump shaft, the oil passageways arranged in parallel with the oil pump shaft; an oil filter positioned facing towards the oil passageways; an oil introduction passageway extending vertically from a first oil passageway to the oil filter; and an oil discharge port forming an oil supply passageway from an oil pan positioned in a lower portion of the crankcase.
With this simple oil passageway arrangement having an oil passageway formed from a side surface of the pump chamber of the oil pump to another end of the oil pump shaft parallel to the oil pump shaft, and a communicating passageway extending to the oil filter towards the oil passageway vertically without bypassing the oil passageway, the lubrication system is easy to manufacture, the space for arrangement can be reduced, and the protrusion of the oil filter from the internal combustion engine can be suppressed. Therefore the size of the internal combustion engine can be reduced.
As it is capable of extending the communicating passageway vertically from any position of the oil passageway to connect to the oil filter, the degree of freedom of oil filter arrangement is increased.
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: 3557767 (1971-01-01), Green
patent: 4538565 (1985-09-01), Hidaka et al.
patent: 5078106 (1992-01-01), Matsuo et al.
patent: 5842451 (1998-12-01), von Eisebeck et al.
patent: 5857442 (1999-01-01), Sumi
patent: 6887565 (1999-03-01), Ozeki et al.
patent: 5901791 (1999-05-01), Ichikawa et al.
patent: 6024193 (2000-02-01), Fukushima
patent: 6397810 (2002-06-01), Ohyama et al.
patent: 197 39 668 (1999-03-01), None
patent: 0 610 617 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 2 555 468 (1975-07-01), None
patent: 2 130 653 (1984-06-01), None
patent: A988538 (1997-03-01), None
Kuga Shinji
Ohyama Takashi
Tsuchiya Ryuji
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Kramer Devon
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