Engine oil drain structure, engine oil pan, engine, and vehicle

Abstract

This invention proposes an engine oil draining structure, comprising: a flexible drain pipe, one end of which is connected to the engine oil pan, and the other end of which is provided with a drain port; a drive assembly configured to couple with the drain port and adapted to change the position of the drain port; an oil inlet identification assembly configured to identify the position of the oil inlet and generate oil inlet position information; and a control unit configured to control the operation of the drive assembly according to the oil inlet position information, thereby positioning the drain port to a discharge position that allows oil to be discharged toward the oil inlet. According to embodiments of this invention, when draining engine oil, the draining structure can identify the position of the oil inlet and then automatically position the drain port to an appropriate discharge position to automatically discharge the oil, facilitating oil draining operations without operator intervention and preventing oil leakage and contamination of surrounding parts. This invention also proposes a corresponding engine oil pan, engine, and vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to an engine oil draining structure, an engine oil pan, an engine, and a corresponding vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Changing the oil filter is a routine procedure during regular engine maintenance. To prevent additional contamination of the engine oil during filter replacement, it is usually necessary to drain the oil from the oil pan beforehand. This operation relies on the oil drain port located at the bottom of the oil pan. Currently, the structure and arrangement of the oil drain port still follow a traditional design, which has many technical shortcomings in actual operation.

[0003] For example, the location of the oil drain outlet is concealed and difficult to observe. Due to the compact layout of the engine compartment, the oil pan and oil drain outlet are often obstructed by the subframe, suspension components, underbody protection plates, or surrounding pipelines. It is difficult for operators to directly observe the specific location of the oil drain outlet from above or the side. They usually have to bend down under the vehicle or use lifting equipment to operate by feel, which restricts their operating posture and makes it more difficult.

[0004] On the other hand, oil spillage is prone to occur during the draining process. Most existing oil drain ports use threaded drain plugs. Upon disassembly, the oil is ejected in a columnar spray under gravity, with a high flow rate and concentrated direction. If the oil collection container is not accurately positioned directly below the drain port, or if oil splashes onto the outer wall of the container, it can easily splatter onto the subframe, control arms, wiring harnesses, catalytic converters, and other surrounding parts. Oil has strong penetrating power and adhesion, making it difficult to completely remove once contaminated. Residual oil not only attracts dust, forming sludge that affects heat dissipation and surface cleanliness, but it can also accelerate the aging of non-metallic components such as rubber bushings and wiring harness sheaths. Furthermore, oil seeping into electrical connectors can cause hidden faults such as poor contact.

[0005] Therefore, how to achieve rapid positioning and leak-free discharge of the oil drain port without relying on the operator's experience and line of sight, simplify the oil draining operation during filter replacement, and avoid oil contamination of surrounding parts are technical problems that urgently need to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an engine oil draining structure, an engine oil pan, an engine, and a corresponding vehicle, so as to at least partially solve various technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an engine oil draining structure is provided, comprising: A flexible drain pipe, one end of which is connected to the engine oil pan, and the other end is provided with a drain port; A drive assembly configured to be coupled to the drain port and adapted to change the position of the drain port; An oil inlet identification component, configured to identify the location of an oil inlet and generate oil inlet location information; and A control unit is configured to control the operation of the drive assembly based on oil inlet position information from the oil inlet identification component, thereby positioning the drain port to a discharge position that allows oil to be discharged toward the oil inlet.

[0008] In one exemplary embodiment, the drive assembly includes a lead screw guide and a motor, the motor being coupled to the lead screw guide and the oil drain port, and adapted to drive the oil drain port to move along the lead screw guide.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, the lead screw guide is configured to be retractable.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment, the drive assembly further includes a swing mechanism, wherein one end of the lead screw guide is a free end and the other end is coupled to the swing mechanism to be adapted to perform horizontal and / or vertical swinging.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, the oil inlet identification component includes a camera configured to acquire image information of the oil inlet.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment, the oil inlet identification component further includes an inductor coil disposed circumferentially along the oil outlet.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment, a control switch, particularly a solenoid valve, is configured to open and close the discharge of engine oil via the drain port.

[0014] In one exemplary embodiment, an oil discharge pump is provided, the outlet of which is connected to the flexible oil discharge pipe.

[0015] In one exemplary embodiment, the flexible drain pipe is a telescopic pipe.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an engine oil pan is provided, which includes the engine oil draining structure described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present invention, an engine is provided, which includes an engine oil drain structure according to a first aspect of the present invention or an engine oil pan according to a second aspect of the present invention.

[0018] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided, comprising an engine oil drain structure according to a first aspect of the present invention, an engine oil pan according to a second aspect of the present invention, or an engine according to a third aspect of the present invention.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention according to the above aspects are that when it is necessary to drain engine oil, the operator does not need to check. He only needs to place the oil change tool (such as a funnel) below the drain port. The engine oil draining structure will automatically identify the position of the oil inlet of the oil change tool and then automatically position the drain port to the appropriate drain position to drain the oil. In particular, the oil is automatically drained after the drain port is positioned, which facilitates the oil draining operation and will not cause oil leakage, thus avoiding contamination of surrounding parts. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will provide a better understanding of its principles, features, and advantages. The drawings include: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an engine oil draining structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the main parts of an engine oil draining structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as well as the engine oil pan and the engine, is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the main parts of an engine oil draining structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown; and Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial technical effects of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an engine oil draining structure 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the main parts of an engine oil drain structure 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as well as an engine oil pan 200 and an engine 300, is shown. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the main parts of an engine oil draining structure 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the engine oil pan 200 is fixed to the bottom of the engine 300, and the engine oil drain structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is arranged at the bottom of the engine oil pan 200, particularly at the lowest point of the bottom of the engine oil pan 200, for draining the engine oil inside the engine oil pan 200. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the engine oil drain structure 100 includes at least a control unit 1, a flexible drain pipe 2, a drive assembly 3, and an oil inlet identification assembly 4.

[0024] One end of the flexible drain pipe 2 is connected to the engine oil pan 200, and the other end is provided with a drain port 20, which is suitable for draining the engine oil in the engine oil pan 200 through the drain port 20. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the flexible drain pipe 2 is a telescopic pipe, so that it can be retracted when not in operation to avoid occupying the internal layout space of the engine compartment. Furthermore, the telescopicity of the flexible drain pipe 2 can better facilitate the positioning operation of the drain port 20, avoiding interference with other surrounding pipes or parts or even the drain pipe itself during the positioning process.

[0025] The drive component 3 is configured to couple with the drain port 20 to change the position of the drain port 20. In a particularly preferred embodiment, especially as Figure 3 As shown, the drive assembly 3 includes a lead screw guide rail 31 and a motor 32. One end of the lead screw guide rail 31 can be directly or indirectly coupled to a fixed position in the engine compartment, such as a position on the engine oil pan near the flexible drain pipe 2, and the other end is a cantilevered free end. The fixed end of the motor 32 is coupled to the drain port 20, and the output end is movably coupled to the lead screw guide rail 31, so that the motor 32 can move on the lead screw guide rail 31 during operation, thereby driving the drain port 20 to move along the lead screw guide rail 31. Thus, the position of the drain port 20 can be changed along the lead screw guide rail 31 by means of the operation of the motor 32.

[0026] In an alternative embodiment, the lead screw guide 31 itself is also configured to be telescopic. For example, the lead screw guide 31 may include a fixed section and a lead screw section slidably nested within the fixed section, with a motor 32 coupled to the lead screw section. When not in use, the motor 32 runs to the free end of the lead screw section, while the other parts of the lead screw section are slidably nested within the fixed section. When in use, the lead screw section can extend from the fixed end to deliver the motor 32 and the drain port 20 to an extended position, thereby enabling the telescopic lead screw guide 31 to transport the drain port 20 over a larger range.

[0027] Alternatively or additionally, the drive assembly 3 may also include a swing mechanism 33, with the other end of the lead screw guide 31 opposite to the free end coupled to the swing mechanism 33, enabling it to swing horizontally and / or vertically under the drive of the swing mechanism 33, thereby transporting the drain port 20 with greater degrees of freedom. Here, the swing mechanism 33 may include any suitable mechanism design without special limitation, as long as it can achieve the corresponding swing.

[0028] The oil inlet identification component 4 is configured to identify the location of the oil inlet 900. The oil inlet 900 is, for example, the opening of a funnel or the filling port of another commonly used container. When the funnel or other container is placed approximately below the engine drain structure 100, particularly below the drain port 20, the oil inlet identification component 4 can identify the oil inlet 900 of the funnel or other container, determine its location, and generate oil inlet location information, which is then sent to the control unit 1.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the fuel inlet identification component 4 may include a camera 41 configured to acquire image information of the fuel inlet 900, and the fuel inlet identification component 4 is configured to calculate the position of the fuel inlet 900 based on the image information acquired by the camera 41. The camera 41 may be installed at a fixed location inside the cabin or on the fuel outlet 20, and the fuel inlet identification component 4 may determine the position of the fuel inlet 900 by means of a suitable coordinate system and algorithm.

[0030] The control unit 1 may be a controller dedicated to the engine drain structure 100, such as an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle, or it may be integrated into the vehicle's central controller, or the control unit 1 may be implemented as the central controller. The control unit 1 is configured to control the operation of the drive assembly 3 based on the drain port position information activated by the drain port identification assembly 4, thereby positioning the drain port 20 to a drain position that allows oil to be discharged toward the drain port 900.

[0031] For example, in one example, the control unit 1 can control the drive assembly 3 as follows: based on the oil inlet position information, control the operation of the swing mechanism 33 to swing the free end of the lead screw guide 31 to a predetermined position above the oil inlet 900, and then optionally control the lead screw guide 31 to extend toward the predetermined position so that the free end of the lead screw guide 31 reaches the predetermined position. Finally, start the motor 32, and through the movement of the motor 32 along the lead screw guide 31, transport the oil drain port 20 to the discharge position below the predetermined position, where the oil can be discharged into the oil inlet 900 through the oil drain port 20.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the oil inlet identification component 4 may further include an inductor coil 42 arranged circumferentially along the oil drain port 20. When the oil inlet port 900 is made of metal, the inductor coil 42, especially in conjunction with the camera 41, can more accurately identify the position of the oil inlet port 900, and when the oil drain port 20 is moved, it can more accurately position the oil drain port 20 to a position suitable for discharging engine oil into the oil inlet port 900 without leakage or even large splashing.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the engine drain structure 100 also includes a control switch 5, specifically a solenoid valve, configured to open and close the discharge of engine oil via the drain port 20. Figure 3 In the diagram, the control switch 5 is schematically shown as being located at the drain port 20, but the invention is not limited thereto; the control switch 5 can also be located at any suitable position in the pipe upstream of the drain port 20. By means of the control switch 5, after identifying the position of the inlet port 900 and positioning the drain port 20 to the discharge position, the control unit 1 can control the opening of the control switch 5 to achieve automatic oil discharge.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the engine drain structure 100 further includes a drain pump 6, which may be located within the engine oil pan 200, particularly at its bottom, and the outlet of the drain pump 6 is connected to the flexible drain pipe 2. This drain pump 6 further enables active draining of oil from the engine drain structure 100.

[0035] The present invention also provides an engine oil pan 200, such as Figure 2 As shown, it includes an engine oil draining structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Another aspect of the present invention provides an engine 300, such as Figure 2 As shown, it includes an engine oil drain structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention or an engine oil pan 200 according to the present invention.

[0037] Another aspect of the present invention also provides a vehicle 400, such as Figure 4 As shown, it includes an engine 300 according to the present invention, or it includes an engine oil drain structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention or an engine oil pan 200 according to the present invention.

[0038] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein, they are given for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Various substitutions, alterations, and modifications can be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An engine oil draining structure (100), comprising: A flexible drain pipe (2) is provided, with one end connected to the engine oil pan (200) and the other end provided with a drain port (20). A drive assembly (3) is configured to be coupled to the drain port (20) and adapted to change the position of the drain port (20); An oil inlet identification component (4) is configured to identify the position of an oil inlet (900) and generate oil inlet position information; and Control unit (1), the control unit (1) is configured to control the operation of the drive assembly (3) according to the oil inlet position information from the oil inlet identification component (4), and position the oil drain port (20) to a discharge position that can discharge oil toward the oil inlet port (900).

2. The engine oil draining structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The drive assembly (3) includes a lead screw guide (31) and a motor (32), the motor (32) being coupled to the lead screw guide (31) and the oil drain port (20), and being adapted to drive the oil drain port (20) to move along the lead screw guide (31).

3. The engine oil draining structure (100) according to claim 2, wherein, The lead screw guide is configured to be retractable; and / or The drive assembly (3) also includes a swing mechanism (33), one end of the lead screw guide (31) is a free end, and the other end is coupled to the swing mechanism (33) to be suitable for horizontal and / or vertical swing.

4. The engine oil drain structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The oil inlet identification component (4) includes a camera (41) configured to acquire image information of the oil inlet (900).

5. The engine oil draining structure (100) according to claim 4, wherein, The oil inlet identification component (4) also includes an inductor coil (42) arranged circumferentially along the oil outlet (20).

6. The engine oil draining structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: Control switch (5), particularly solenoid valve, configured to open and close the discharge of oil via the drain port (20); and / or An oil discharge pump (6) is provided, the outlet of which is connected to the flexible oil discharge pipe (2).

7. The engine oil drain structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The flexible drain pipe (2) is a telescopic pipe.

8. An engine oil pan (200) comprising an engine oil drain structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. An engine (300) comprising an engine oil drain structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or an engine oil pan (200) according to claim 8.

10. A vehicle (400) comprising an engine drain structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, an engine oil pan (200) according to claim 8, or an engine (300) according to claim 9.

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