intake system

Abstract

The present invention relates to an intake system (1) having an intake pipe (2), a throttle unit (6) and a clean air pipe (8), wherein the throttle unit has a first end side (28) connected to an intake pipe inlet (4) of the intake pipe, and wherein the intake pipe inlet (4) and the first end side (28) have a first contour that interacts with each other, the first contour explicitly defining the attachment position of the throttle unit (6) on the intake pipe (2), characterized in that the first contour includes at least one locating pin (18) of the intake pipe (2), the at least one locating pin extending in a first hole (12) of the throttle unit (6) through a plane parallel to the first end side (28), the plane containing the center of gravity of the throttle unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an intake system having an intake manifold and a throttle unit, as known from DE 102011 081780A1, and to a method for assembling the intake system. Background Technology

[0002] In this known intake system, the intake manifold and throttle unit have complementary flanges that are tightened together when the intake system is assembled. The end of the throttle unit opposite to the intake manifold is not shown, and how a clean air pipe can be secured to this end if necessary is not known from DE 10 2011 081 780 A1.

[0003] It is time-consuming to gradually tighten the throttle body onto the intake manifold and then tighten the clean air hose onto the throttle body.

[0004] If the throttle unit is short enough, the assembly of the intake system can be simplified and accelerated by first inserting the throttle unit onto the intake manifold, then inserting the clean air hose onto the throttle unit, and finally threading the clean air hose through the throttle unit and tightening it onto the intake manifold. There is a possibility that the throttle unit may fall off and be damaged during the time interval between inserting it onto the intake manifold and tightening it. Especially when the throttle unit is short, the throttle body may protrude from the throttle unit and be damaged due to falling. In this case, the throttle unit must be discarded and another throttle unit installed in its place.

[0005] Therefore, there are high requirements for manufacturing and assembly technology, which can not only achieve high productivity, but also minimize the risk of component damage during installation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To meet this requirement, an intake system as described below is provided according to one aspect of the invention. The intake system has an intake manifold, a throttle unit, and a clean air pipe, wherein the throttle unit has a first end side connected to an intake manifold inlet and a second end side connected to an outlet of the clean air pipe, and wherein the intake manifold inlet and the first end side have a first profile that interacts and clearly predefines the attachment position of the throttle unit on the intake manifold, wherein the first profile includes at least one locating pin of the intake manifold extending in a first hole of the throttle unit until passing through a plane parallel to the first end side, the plane containing the center of gravity of the throttle unit. The locating pin provides reliable retention of the throttle unit during the time interval between insertion into the intake manifold and tightening, even if the direction along which the throttle unit is inserted into the intake manifold extends horizontally or even slightly upward in the installation position of the intake system in the vehicle.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the intake manifold inlet is surrounded by a flange of the intake manifold, and a locating pin is anchored to the flange. The flange is preferably a component of the first profile described.

[0008] To further improve safety against falling, the locating pin can be sized long enough to extend to or even protrude beyond the second end of the throttle unit, which connects to the outlet of the clean air pipe when the intake system is assembled. Therefore, even when the throttle unit is not directly against the intake manifold inlet—for example, because the insertion direction is horizontal and the throttle unit does not press against the intake manifold inlet due to its own weight, or because the still-undeformed sealing ring between the intake manifold inlet and the throttle unit keeps them apart in the inserted state—the locating pin provides protection against falling.

[0009] According to one embodiment, a hole can be provided in the clean air tube, and the end of the locating pin extending beyond the second end side can be inserted into the hole. Therefore, the hole and the locating pin can form part of a second profile.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the cross-section of the locating pin is no greater than the cross-section of the first hole over its entire length. Therefore, the throttle body unit can be inserted without requiring effort to deform the locating pin or the throttle body unit.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the cross-sectional dimensions of the locating pin are determined so that it frictionally engages against the inner surface of the first hole of the throttle unit. This friction helps to reliably hold the throttle unit on the intake manifold during the time interval between inserting the throttle unit into the intake manifold and tightening the throttle unit and the clean air line.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the number of locating pins and first holes is at least two. The two locating pins and the holes receiving them are sufficient to definitively predetermine the position where the throttle unit can be placed on the intake manifold. This ensures that once the intake manifold is placed, the throttle unit is also in the correct position, and both can be secured to the intake manifold without further positional adjustments.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the outlet of the clean air pipe is surrounded by a flange of the clean air pipe, and a locating pin extends through the flange to the side of the flange opposite to the throttle unit. In particular, the hole of the clean air pipe mentioned above can be formed in this flange.

[0014] According to one embodiment, a second profile of the throttle unit and the outlet of the clean air pipe explicitly predefines the attachment position of the clean air pipe on the throttle unit. These second profiles may include the tip of the aforementioned locating pin and a hole in the clean air pipe for receiving the tip of the locating pin. In a preferred configuration, the second profile includes a hole in the throttle unit into which the pin of the clean air pipe is inserted.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the first profile includes at least one intake manifold-side section of the second hole of the throttle unit and a pin of the intake manifold embedded in the intake manifold-side section, and the second profile includes a clean air manifold-side section of the second hole and a pin of the clean air manifold embedded in the clean air manifold-side section.

[0016] In other words, the throttle unit includes a second hole into which the intake manifold pin is inserted on the intake manifold side, and the clean air manifold pin is inserted into the second hole on the side opposite to the intake manifold. Therefore, by means of the holes in the throttle unit, not only is the throttle unit positioned relative to the intake manifold, but the clean air manifold is also positioned relative to the throttle unit.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the number of second holes, the number of pins into which the intake pipe is inserted, and the number of pins into which the clean air pipe is inserted are all at least two. These numbers are also sufficient to clearly determine the attachment position of the clean air pipe on the throttle unit.

[0018] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for assembling an intake system as described above and below, comprising the following steps:

[0019] - The first end of the throttle unit is placed in an attachment position at the intake inlet of the intake manifold, in which the locating pin of the intake manifold extends through a first hole in the throttle unit and through a plane parallel to the first end, the plane containing the center of gravity of the throttle unit.

[0020] - Place the outlet of the clean air tube on the second end side;

[0021] - The throttle body is sandwiched between the intake manifold and the clean air manifold.

[0022] For clamping, screws can be used, which pass through aligned holes in the intake manifold and the clean air manifold, and preferably also through the throttle body.

[0023] The holes in the intake pipe and the clean air pipe can each have internal threads to provide retention for the screws. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show:

[0025] Figure 1 According to a portion of the intake system of the present invention,

[0026] Figure 2 The intake system according to the invention in its assembled state, and

[0027] Figure 3 Throttle body unit, which is inserted into the intake manifold. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the intake system 1 is shown. The intake system 1 has an intake manifold 2, a throttle body 6, and a clean air manifold 8. The intake manifold 2 has an intake manifold inlet 4. The intake manifold inlet 4 is surrounded by a flange 32. The sealing surface of the flange 32 facing the throttle body 6 is flat and has a surface normal (not shown) that is oriented substantially horizontally in the mounting position of the intake manifold 4 in the motor vehicle. A locating pin 18 and two pins 16 shorter than the locating pin 18 protrude from the flange 32 along the direction of the surface normal. Holes 20, preferably threaded holes, also oriented along the direction of the surface normal, are distributed in the flange 32 around the intake manifold inlet 4.

[0029] As in Figure 1 As shown, the throttle unit 6 includes a housing with a central through-hole in which the throttle valve is pivotally mounted. The housing has a first end side 28 facing the intake manifold 2 and a second end side 30 facing the clean air manifold 8. A plane O extending parallel to the end sides 28 and 30 contains the center of gravity of the throttle unit 6. The distance between the end sides 28 and 30 is less than the diameter of the central through-hole extending from one end side 28 to the other end side 30, such that the throttle valve can protrude beyond the end sides 28 and 30 in the open position. In the housing of the throttle unit 6, a first hole 12, a second hole 10, and a possible through-hole 22 are distributed around the central through-hole and extend in the direction of the surface normal.

[0030] The clean air pipe 8 has an outlet 36 surrounded by a flange 38 at one end facing the throttle unit 6. Two pins 14 are anchored to the flange 38. Pins 14 are mirror-opposite to pins 16.

[0031] During the assembly of the intake system, the throttle unit 6 is first inserted into the intake manifold inlet 4 of the intake manifold 2. Here, as in... Figure 2As shown, the two first holes 12 of the throttle unit 6 receive locating pins 18 of the intake manifold 2. The locating pins 18 extend along the entire length of the holes 12 from the flange 32 and intersect plane O therein. The cross-section of the locating pins 18 is sized such that they frictionally engage against the inner side of the holes 12. To ensure reliable frictional engagement on the one hand, but on the other hand, to prevent excessive friction from unnecessarily hindering the insertion of the throttle unit 6, the locating pins have a non-circular cross-section that contacts the inner side of the holes 12 only at a few points around their periphery, for example, in a polygonal, cross-shaped, or star-shaped form. Furthermore, the locating pins 18 can also be made of a slightly deformable material, different from the flange 32 and the housing of the throttle unit 6, such as plastic. Therefore, even when the throttle unit 6 is not yet tightened to the intake manifold 2, specifically even when the surface normal along which the throttle unit 6 is pushed onto the locating pin extends slightly upward toward the flange 32, the locating pins 18 can prevent the throttle unit 6 from falling off the intake manifold 2. In practice, the inclination of the surface normal to the horizontal line can be as high as 10°.

[0032] Two pins 16 of the intake pipe 2 are respectively received in the intake pipe side section of the second hole 10. The pins 16 are too short to reach the end face 30 or even only reach the plane 0, and the section of the second hole 10 on the clean air pipe side is empty. The pins 18, 16 of the flange 32 are embedded in the holes 12, 10 of the throttle unit 6, which clearly define its position on the intake pipe 2, in which the hole 20 of the flange 32 is aligned with the through hole 22 of the throttle unit 6.

[0033] The position where the clean air pipe 8 can be inserted into the second end side 30 of the throttle unit 6 is explicitly defined by requiring that the pin 14 of the clean air pipe 8 must be embedded in the section of the second hole 10 on the clean air pipe side. In this position, the through hole 24 in the flange 36 of the clean air pipe 8 is aligned with the through hole 22 of the throttle unit 6. In order to secure the clean air pipe 8 to the intake manifold and clamp the throttle unit 6 between the intake manifold 2 and the clean air pipe 8, screws 26 need to be inserted into the through holes 24, 22 and engage with the internal threads of the hole 20 (or, if the hole 20 is unthreaded, engage with the nut placed behind the hole 20).

[0034] Figure 3 The intake system 1 is shown in its assembled state. Here, the clean air pipe 8 and the throttle unit 6 are fixed to the intake pipe 2 by means of screws 26. As can be seen in the final assembled position of the intake system 1, the locating pin 18 protrudes from the first end side 28 of the throttle unit 6, and in particular from the first hole 12.

[0035] List of reference numerals

[0036] 1. Intake System

[0037] 2 intake pipes

[0038] 4. Inlet pipe

[0039] 6-throttle unit

[0040] 8 Pure Air Tube Units

[0041] 10 Second hole

[0042] 12 First Hole

[0043] 14 sales

[0044] 16 sales

[0045] 18 positioning pins

[0046] 20 holes

[0047] 22 Through Holes

[0048] 24 through holes

[0049] 26 screws

[0050] 28 First end side

[0051] 30 Second end side

[0052] 32 Flange

[0053] 34 holes

[0054] 36 Exports

[0055] 38 Flange

Claims

1. An air intake system (1) having an air intake duct (2), a throttle valve unit (6) and a clean air duct (8), wherein The throttle unit has a first end side (28) connected to the intake pipe inlet (4) of the intake pipe, wherein the intake pipe inlet (4) and the first end side (28) have a first profile that interacts and explicitly predefines the attachment position of the throttle unit (6) on the intake pipe (2), the first profile including a flange (32) surrounding the intake pipe inlet of the intake pipe (2), the flange (32) of the intake pipe (2) having a plurality of holes (20) aligned with the through holes (22) of the throttle unit (6), the outlet (36) of the clean air pipe (8) being surrounded by the flange (38) of the clean air pipe (8), the flange (38) of the clean air pipe (8) having a through hole (24) such that a screw (26) can pass through the through hole and engage with the internal thread of the hole (20) or with a screw placed behind the hole (20). The female engagement is wherein at least one locating pin (18) is fixed on the flange (32) of the intake pipe (2), and the second profile of the outlet (36) of the throttle unit (6) and the pure air pipe (8) clearly predefines the attachment position of the pure air pipe (8) on the throttle unit (6). The first profile includes at least one intake pipe side section of the second hole (10) of the throttle unit (6) and a pin (16) of the intake pipe (2) embedded in the intake pipe side section. The second profile includes the pure air pipe side section of the second hole (10) and a pin (14) of the pure air pipe (8) embedded in the pure air pipe side section. The at least one locating pin extends in the first hole (12) of the throttle unit (6) until it passes through a plane parallel to the first end side (28), the plane containing the center of gravity of the throttle unit.

2. The intake system according to claim 1, wherein the throttle unit (8) has a second end side (30) connected to the outlet of the clean air pipe (8), and the locating pin (18) of the intake pipe (2) extends at least to the second end side (30) or extends beyond the second end side (30).

3. The intake system according to claim 2, wherein the positioning pin (18) extends into the hole (34) of the pure air pipe (8).

4. The intake system according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the cross-section of the locating pin (18) is not greater than the cross-section of the first hole (12) over the entire length of the locating pin.

5. The intake system according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the cross-sectional dimension of the locating pin (18) is determined such that it frictionally engages with the inner surface of the first hole (12) of the throttle unit (6).

6. The intake system according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the number of the locating pins (18) and the number of the first holes (12) are at least two each.

7. A method for assembling an intake system, said intake system comprising an intake manifold (2), a throttle unit (6), and a clean air manifold (8), said method comprising the following steps: - The first end side (28) of the throttle unit (6) is placed in an attachment position at the intake pipe inlet (4) of the intake pipe (2), in which the positioning pin (18) of the intake pipe (2) extends in the first hole (12) of the throttle unit (6) until it passes through a plane parallel to the first end side (28), the plane containing the center of gravity of the throttle unit (6), and the pin (16) of the intake pipe (2) is embedded in at least one intake pipe side section of the second hole (10) of the throttle unit (6); - The outlet of the pure air pipe (8) is placed on the second end side, the outlet (36) of the pure air pipe (8) is surrounded by the flange (38) of the pure air pipe (8), and the pin (14) of the pure air pipe (8) is embedded in the second hole (10) on the second end side. - The throttle unit (6) is clamped between the intake pipe (2) and the clean air pipe (8) using a screw (26), the screw (26) passing through the flange of the clean air pipe (8) and the through hole aligned with the throttle unit (6) and engaging with the internal thread of the hole (20) on the flange (32) of the intake pipe (2) or with a nut placed behind the hole (20).

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