Diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatus of internal combustion engine

Abstract

The diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatus includes an oil container (an oil pan) and a fuel eliminator (a heater, a bubble generator). The oil container contains lubricating oil of the internal combustion engine, and has a first compartment and a second compartment divided from the first compartment, such that the lubricating oil is introduced from the first compartment into the second compartment. The fuel eliminator eliminates fuel from the lubricating oil in the first compartment. The second compartment is provided with an oil passage having an oil pump supplying the lubricating oil from the second compartment to lubricated parts of the internal combustion engine.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2008-124031 and 2008-124030, filed on May 9, 2008, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatuses of internal combustion engines and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatus of an internal combustion engine that can efficiently separate the fuel from the lubricating oil of the internal combustion engine while suppressing degradation of the oil.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]Known conventional diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatuses of internal combustion engines heat lubricating oil and separate the fuel from the lubricating oil by vaporization in order to suppress dilution of the lubricating oil w...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The present invention is provided to resolve the above-described problem. An advantage of the present invention is to provide a diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatus of an internal combustion engine that can efficiently separate the fuel from the lubricating oil of the internal combustion engine while suppressing degradation of the oil.

[0011]1. A diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatus of an internal combustion engine includes an oil container configured to contain lubricating oil of the internal combustion engine and have a first compartment and a second compartment divided from the first compartment, such that the lubricating oil is introduced from the first compartment into the second compartment; and a fuel eliminator configured to eliminate fuel from the lubricating oil in the first compartment. The second compartment is provided with an oil passage having an oil pump configured to supply the lubricating oil from the second compartment to lubricated parts of the internal combustion engine.

[0012]2. According to the diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatus of the internal combustion engine described in above 1, the fuel eliminator includes a heater configured to heat the lubricating oil of the internal combustion engine; the first compartment is configured to contain the lubricating oil heated by the heater; and the second compartment is divided from the first compartment, such that the lubricating oil heated by the heater is introduced from the first compartment into the second compartment. The diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatus of the internal combustion further includes an oil guide provided in a main body of the internal combustion engine and configured to guide the lubricating oil into the first compartment after the lubricating oil lubricates a piston among the lubricated parts of the internal combustion engine.

[0013]3. According to the diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatus of the internal combustion engine described in 2 above, a volume of the oil contained in the first compartment is smaller than that contained in the second compartment.

[0014]4. According to the diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatus of the internal combustion engine described in 2 above, the heater heats the lubricating oil flowing from the first compartment into the second compartment.

[0015]5. According to the diluting fuel-in-oil separating apparatus of the internal combustion engine described in 3 above, the heater heats the lubricating oil flowing from the first compartment into the second compartment.

Problems solved by technology

However, heat energy losses are significant in the technology disclosed in Related Art 1, since the heater heats a relatively large amount of the lubricating oil flowing in an oil passage that connects the oil pan to lubricated parts of the engine or in a bypass passage provided in the oil passage.

In addition, the above-described problem is extremely conspicuous in the technology disclosed in Related Art 2, since all the oil in the oil pan is heated.

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