Engine oil pan structure

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of engine, more particularly, to an engine oil sump structure, comprising a shell, an oil drain hole is arranged on the bottom side wall of the shell, a driving member and a plugging assembly, one end of the driving member is located outside the shell, the other end is inserted into the cavity of the shell and is movably connected with the shell, the plugging assembly is located inside the cavity of the shell and is connected with the driving member, and the plugging assembly is used for abutting with the oil drain hole; the driving member drives the plugging assembly to separate from or insert into the oil drain hole. The present application can effectively improve the convenience of oil replacement operation and the friendliness to ordinary users, so that ordinary car owners can complete the oil replacement by themselves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of engine technology, and more specifically, to an engine oil pan structure. Background Technology

[0002] As the core power component of a vehicle, the engine relies on engine oil for lubrication, cooling, cleaning, and rust prevention during operation. With increasing mileage, wear particles and carbon deposits generated by mechanical movement accumulate inside the engine, causing the engine oil's performance to gradually deteriorate. Therefore, it must be changed regularly to ensure the engine's normal operation and lifespan.

[0003] Currently, most engine oil changes use the traditional drain plug and washer setup. During this process, the vehicle needs to be lifted, and the drain plug needs to be unscrewed from the bottom of the oil pan to allow the old oil to drain under gravity.

[0004] The aforementioned drain hole structure requires specialized tools and lifting equipment for each replacement, placing high demands on the operating space and conditions. Ordinary car owners cannot perform this themselves and usually have to go to a 4S shop or repair shop, which is time-consuming and costly. Secondly, the drain plug's seal relies on a disposable washer. This washer undergoes plastic deformation after initial tightening to achieve a seal, but often loses its secondary sealing ability after removal. Reusing it can easily lead to oil leaks. Each replacement requires a new washer, increasing consumable costs and operational steps. More importantly, oil often suddenly flows out of the drain hole when the plug is removed, soiling the operator's hands and making the operation extremely unpleasant. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the problem that the existing oil pan drain structure makes it difficult for ordinary car owners to change the engine oil themselves and the operation experience is poor. The invention provides an engine oil pan structure that can effectively improve the convenience and user-friendliness of the oil change operation, thereby allowing ordinary car owners to change the engine oil themselves.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: An engine oil pan structure is provided, including a housing, a drain hole provided on the bottom side wall of the housing, a drive member and a sealing assembly, one end of the drive member being located outside the housing, and the other end being inserted into the cavity of the housing and movably connected to the housing, the sealing assembly being located inside the cavity of the housing and connected to the drive member, the sealing assembly being used to mate with the drain hole; the drive member drives the sealing assembly to disengage from or insert into the drain hole.

[0007] During the operation of the above solution, when an oil change is needed, the user can use a portable jack to lift one side of the vehicle and access it from under the car. After placing an oil container under the drain hole, simply operate the drive mechanism from the outside of the housing. The drive mechanism will move the sealing component inside the housing, disengaging it from the drain hole, allowing the oil to flow smoothly from the drain hole into the container below.

[0008] After the old engine oil has been completely drained, the user reverses the drive mechanism to re-insert the sealing component and seal the drain hole. The entire process requires no bolt tightening, and the user's hands do not need to come into contact with the drain hole, effectively preventing engine oil from soiling the operator's hands. It is highly user-friendly, and finally, the user only needs to add new engine oil through the engine filler neck to complete the replacement.

[0009] Furthermore, the driving component is rotatably connected to the housing, and the sealing assembly includes a connecting rod and a sealing plug. One end of the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the driving component, and the other end is fixedly connected to the sealing plug. The sealing plug is inserted into the drain hole. When the connecting rod rotates towards the center of the cavity of the housing, the sealing plug disengages from the drain hole. In addition to being rotatable, the driving component can also be sliding. The driving component is inserted into the housing and slidably connected to the housing. The connecting rod is fixed to the driving component. The sliding of the driving component causes the sealing plug to slide away from the drain hole along the axis of the drain hole, thus completing the opening operation.

[0010] Furthermore, both the connecting rod and the sealing plug are made of rubber; the connecting rod has no strength requirements, and using rubber can save manufacturing costs and facilitate vehicle body weight reduction.

[0011] Furthermore, the connecting rod is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove, and the sealing plug is snapped into the snap-fit ​​groove; when the rubber sealing plug and the oil drain hole are press-fitted together for sealing, the friction between the two is very large. The snap-fit ​​groove is used to fix the sealing plug and the connecting rod to prevent the sealing plug from detaching.

[0012] Furthermore, the driving component includes a rotating shaft and a rocker arm. Both ends of the rotating shaft are inserted into the housing and rotatably connected to the housing. One end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the connecting rod, and the shaft segment away from the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the rocker arm. The driving component is manual. The user manually rotates the rocker arm, and the rotation of the rocker arm synchronously drives the connecting rod to rotate, thereby controlling the sealing plug to disengage from or insert into the drain hole.

[0013] Furthermore, the outer wall of the housing located on one side of the oil drain hole is also provided with a mounting groove, the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the mounting groove, and the rocker arm is located in the mounting groove; the drive unit is installed as a whole in the mounting groove, the mounting groove and the oil drain hole are on the same side of the housing, which facilitates operation and effectively prevents the engine oil from coming into contact with the user.

[0014] Furthermore, a clearance cavity is provided at the bottom of the mounting groove, which can accommodate the rocker arm. During the opening and closing of the oil drain hole, both the rocker arm and the connecting rod need to rotate 10° to 15° towards the center of the cavity of the housing. The clearance cavity in the mounting groove provides more room for the rocker arm to move, thus avoiding interference between the mounting groove part of the housing and the movement of the rocker arm.

[0015] Furthermore, the rotating shaft is provided with a first gear and a second gear, the connecting rod is provided with a first internal gear ring, and the rocker arm is provided with a second internal gear ring. The first gear meshes with the first internal gear ring, and the second gear meshes with the second internal gear ring. The rocker arm and the rotating rod are both fixed by meshing with the toothed structure on the rotating shaft, which facilitates disassembly and installation.

[0016] Furthermore, a limiting baffle is provided at the end of the rotating shaft away from the connecting rod, and the limiting baffle is used to abut against the inner wall of the cavity of the housing; the limiting baffle is used to prevent the rotating shaft from axially moving during vehicle body vibration.

[0017] Furthermore, sealing rings are installed on both ends of the shaft, and the sealing rings are used to seal the connection between the shaft and the housing. Since the shaft only rotates when the oil is changed, a static sealing arrangement is adopted at the connection between the shaft and the housing in the design.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. An oil drain hole is provided on the bottom side wall of the housing, and a driving component and a sealing component are also included. One end of the driving component is located outside the housing, and the other end is inserted into the cavity of the housing and movably connected to the housing. The sealing component is located inside the cavity of the housing and connected to the driving component. The sealing component is used to mate with the oil drain hole. The driving component drives the sealing component to disengage from or insert into the oil drain hole. During the oil change process, the user only needs to operate the driving component and does not need to contact the oil drain hole, effectively avoiding the oil from soiling the operator's hands. This effectively improves the convenience of oil change operation and user-friendliness for ordinary users, allowing ordinary car owners to complete the oil change themselves.

[0019] 2. The sealing assembly includes a connecting rod and a sealing plug. Both the connecting rod and the sealing plug are made of rubber. The rubber sealing plug and the drain hole are press-fitted together to achieve a seal. The seal does not rely on disposable gaskets, and no new gaskets need to be replaced for each maintenance, effectively reducing consumable costs.

[0020] 3. The rotating shaft is provided with a first gear and a second gear, the connecting rod is provided with a first internal gear ring, and the rocker arm is provided with a second internal gear ring. The first gear meshes with the first internal gear ring, and the second gear meshes with the second internal gear ring. A limit stop is provided at the end of the rotating shaft away from the connecting rod. The limit stop is used to abut against the inner wall of the cavity of the housing. During installation, the connecting rod and the rotating rod are fixed to the first internal gear ring by the first gear, and the rocker arm and the rotating shaft are fixed to the second internal gear ring by the second gear, which facilitates disassembly during maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A first-angle perspective view of an engine oil pan structure; Figure 2 A second-angle perspective view of an engine oil pan structure; Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the drive component and the sealing assembly in an engine oil pan structure. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a connecting rod structure for an engine oil pan.

[0022] In the attached diagram: 100, housing; 110, drain hole; 120, mounting groove; 121, clearance cavity; 200, drive component; 210, rotating shaft; 211, first gear tooth; 212, second gear tooth; 213, limit stop plate; 220, rocker arm; 221, second internal gear ring; 300, sealing assembly; 310, connecting rod; 311, snap-fit ​​groove; 312, first internal gear ring; 320, sealing plug; 400, sealing ring. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only, representing schematic diagrams rather than actual physical objects, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent. To better illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, some components in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual dimensions of the product. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0024] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, the same or similar reference numerals correspond to the same or similar components. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms used to describe positional relationships in the drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the present patent. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] Example 1 This embodiment is a first embodiment of an engine oil pan structure, such as... Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the device includes a housing 100, with an oil drain hole 110 provided on the bottom side wall of the housing 100. It also includes a driving member 200 and a sealing assembly 300. One end of the driving member 200 is located outside the housing 100, and the other end is inserted into the cavity of the housing 100 and movably connected to the housing 100. The sealing assembly 300 is located inside the cavity of the housing 100 and connected to the driving member 200. The sealing assembly 300 is used to mate with the oil drain hole 110. The driving member 200 drives the sealing assembly 300 to disengage from or insert into the oil drain hole 110.

[0026] Specifically, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the driving component 200 is rotatably connected to the housing 100. The sealing assembly 300 includes a connecting rod 310 and a sealing plug 320. One end of the connecting rod 310 is fixedly connected to the driving component 200, and the other end is fixedly connected to the sealing plug 320. The sealing plug 320 is inserted into the drain hole 110. When the connecting rod 310 rotates towards the center of the cavity of the housing 100, the sealing plug 320 disengages from the drain hole 110. The driving component 200 can be either rotatable or sliding. The driving component 200 is inserted into the housing 100 and slidably connected to the housing 100. The connecting rod 310 is fixed to the driving component 200. The sliding of the driving component 200 causes the sealing plug 320 to slide away from the drain hole 110 along the axis of the drain hole 110, thus completing the opening operation.

[0027] Specifically, both the connecting rod 310 and the sealing plug 320 are made of rubber; the connecting rod 310 has no strength requirements, and using rubber can save manufacturing costs and facilitate vehicle body weight reduction.

[0028] Specifically, the connecting rod 310 is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove 311, and the sealing plug 320 is snapped into the snap-fit ​​groove 311. When the rubber sealing plug 320 and the oil drain hole 110 are press-fitted together for sealing, the friction between the two is very large. The snap-fit ​​groove 311 is used to fix the sealing plug 320 and the connecting rod 310 to prevent them from separating.

[0029] The working principle of an engine oil pan structure in this embodiment is as follows: When draining the oil, first use a jack to lift one side of the vehicle and place an oil collection container below the drain hole 110. Then, locate the drive unit 200 located outside the upper housing 100 of the oil pan under the vehicle. When the user rotates the drive unit 200 clockwise (towards the center of the cavity of the housing 100), the drive unit 200 will cause the connecting rod 310, which is fixedly connected to it inside the housing 100, to rotate. As the connecting rod 310 rotates, it smoothly pulls the rubber sealing plug 320 at its other end out of the drain hole 110. The sealing plug 320 and the drain hole 110 are interference-fitted; at the moment the plug disengages from the hole wall, the engine oil will flow downwards from the fully opened circular orifice.

[0030] The beneficial effects of this embodiment are: the entire oil draining process can avoid direct contact with the drain hole 110 and the flowing oil, effectively preventing the oil from soiling the operator's hands, improving the cleanliness of the operation, reducing the technical threshold and operational burden of changing the oil yourself, and enabling ordinary car owners to independently and conveniently complete the oil change with the help of simple tools, thus improving the convenience and user-friendliness of self-maintenance.

[0031] Example 2 This embodiment is a first embodiment of an engine oil pan structure, such as... Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the difference between Example 1 and Example 2 is as follows: Specifically, the drive unit 200 includes a rotating shaft 210 and a rocker arm 220. Both ends of the rotating shaft 210 are inserted into the housing 100 and rotatably connected to the housing 100. One end of the rotating shaft 210 is fixedly connected to the connecting rod 310. The shaft segment of the rotating shaft 210 away from the connecting rod 310 is fixedly connected to the rocker arm 220. The drive unit 200 is manual. The user manually rotates the rocker arm 220. The rotation of the rocker arm 220 synchronously drives the connecting rod 310 to rotate, thereby controlling the sealing plug 320 to disengage from or insert into the drain hole 110.

[0032] Specifically, the outer wall of the housing 100 located on one side of the oil drain hole 110 is also provided with a mounting groove 120, the rotating shaft 210 is rotatably connected to the mounting groove 120, and the rocker arm 220 is located in the mounting groove 120; the drive unit 200 is installed as a whole in the mounting groove 120, the mounting groove 120 and the oil drain hole 110 are on the same side of the housing 100, which facilitates operation and can also effectively prevent the engine oil from coming into contact with the user.

[0033] Specifically, such as Figure 3As shown, a clearance cavity 121 is also provided at the bottom of the mounting groove 120. The clearance cavity 121 can accommodate the rocker arm 220. During the opening and closing of the oil drain hole 110, both the rocker arm 220 and the connecting rod 310 need to rotate 10° to 15° towards the center of the cavity of the housing 100. The clearance cavity 121 in the mounting groove 120 provides more room for the rocker arm 220 to move, and avoids interference between the mounting groove 120 part of the housing 100 and the movement of the rocker arm 220.

[0034] The working principle of an engine oil pan structure in this embodiment is as follows: When the user manually rotates the rocker arm 220, the rocker arm 220 will drive the rotating shaft 210, which is fixedly connected to it, to rotate synchronously within the mounting groove 120 of the housing 100. The other end of the rotating shaft 210 is fixedly connected to the internal connecting rod 310. Therefore, the rotation of the rotating shaft 210 will directly drive the connecting rod 310 to rotate synchronously. Driven by the connecting rod 310, the rubber sealing plug 320, which is fixedly connected to its other end, will be smoothly pulled out from the oil drain hole 110 along an arc trajectory with the rotating shaft 210 as the center. When the bottom of the rocker arm 220 rotates to enter the relief cavity 121, the oil drain hole 110 is fully opened, and the old engine oil flows out from the oil drain hole 110.

[0035] The beneficial effects of this embodiment are: the bottom of the mounting groove 120 is specially provided with a relief cavity 121, which provides sufficient swing space for the rocker arm 220, ensuring that it can smoothly rotate 10° to 15° towards the center of the cavity of the housing 100, thereby allowing the sealing plug 320 to completely disengage from the drain hole 110 and open the drain channel.

[0036] Example 3 This embodiment is a first embodiment of an engine oil pan structure, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the difference from Example 2 is as follows: Specifically, the rotating shaft 210 is provided with a first gear 211 and a second gear 212, the connecting rod 310 is provided with a first internal gear ring 312, and the rocker arm 220 is provided with a second internal gear ring 221. The first gear 211 meshes with the first internal gear ring 312, and the second gear 212 meshes with the second internal gear ring 221. The rocker arm 220 and the rotating rod are both fixed by meshing with the toothed structure on the rotating shaft 210, so as to achieve circumferential fixation of the rocker arm 220 and the connecting rod 310, which facilitates disassembly and installation.

[0037] Specifically, a limit baffle 213 is provided at the end of the rotating shaft 210 away from the connecting rod 310. The limit baffle 213 is used to abut against the inner wall of the cavity of the housing 100. The limit baffle 213 is used to prevent the rotating shaft 210 from axially moving during the actual vibration of the vehicle body.

[0038] Specifically, sealing rings 400 are installed on both ends of the shaft 210. The sealing rings 400 are used to seal the connection between the shaft 210 and the housing 100. Since the shaft 210 only rotates when the oil is changed, the connection between the shaft 210 and the housing 100 is designed with a static sealing arrangement.

[0039] The working principle of an engine oil pan structure in this embodiment is as follows: During assembly, first install the sealing ring 400 at the mounting point of the rotating shaft 210 on the oil pan, then insert the rotating shaft 210 into the housing 100. When the rotating shaft 210 passes through the mounting groove 120, slide the rocker arm 220 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 210 until the second internal gear ring 221 engages with the second gear tooth 212 on the rotating shaft 210, completing the assembly of the rocker arm 220. Then continue to slide the rotating shaft 210 until the limiting baffle 213 on one side abuts against the inner wall of the cavity of the housing 100, and the other side passes through the mounting groove 120 into the cavity of the housing 100. Then slide the connecting rod 310 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 210, so that the first gear tooth 211 meshes with the first internal gear ring 312, completing the assembly of the connecting rod 310.

[0040] The beneficial effects of this embodiment are as follows: Through the combined design of "axial sliding engagement" and "limiting baffle 213", during assembly, it is only necessary to insert the rotating shaft 210 into the housing 100, and then slide the rocker arm 220 and connecting rod 310 in sequence to complete the fixation. There is no need to use a wrench or screwdriver to tighten, which greatly reduces the assembly difficulty and time. It realizes the quick and reliable assembly of the driving component 200 and the sealing component 300. When it is necessary to replace the sealing ring 400 or repair the internal components, it can be easily disassembled by simply sliding in the opposite direction without damaging the original structure. This not only facilitates manufacturing, but also provides great convenience for subsequent maintenance.

[0041] In the specific implementation of the above embodiments, the technical features can be combined in any non-contradictory way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the above technical features are described. However, as long as the combination of these technical features is not contradictory, it should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0042] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An engine oil pan structure, comprising a housing (100), wherein an oil drain hole (110) is provided on the bottom sidewall of the housing (100), characterized in that, It also includes a driving member (200) and a sealing assembly (300). One end of the driving member (200) is located outside the housing (100), and the other end is inserted into the cavity of the housing (100) and movably connected to the housing (100). The sealing assembly (300) is located inside the cavity of the housing (100) and connected to the driving member (200). The sealing assembly (300) is used to dock with the drain hole (110). The driving member (200) drives the sealing assembly (300) to disengage from or insert into the drain hole (110).

2. The engine oil pan structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving component (200) is rotatably connected to the housing (100). The sealing assembly (300) includes a connecting rod (310) and a sealing plug (320). One end of the connecting rod (310) is fixedly connected to the driving component (200), and the other end is fixedly connected to the sealing plug (320). The sealing plug (320) is inserted into the drain hole (110). When the connecting rod (310) rotates toward the center of the cavity of the housing (100), the sealing plug (320) disengages from the drain hole (110).

3. The engine oil pan structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the connecting rod (310) and the sealing plug (320) are made of rubber.

4. The engine oil pan structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The connecting rod (310) is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove (311), and the sealing plug (320) is engaged with the snap-fit ​​groove (311).

5. The engine oil pan structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive unit (200) includes a rotating shaft (210) and a rocker arm (220). Both ends of the rotating shaft (210) are inserted into the housing (100) and rotatably connected to the housing (100). One end of the rotating shaft (210) is fixedly connected to the connecting rod (310). The shaft segment of the rotating shaft (210) away from the connecting rod (310) is fixedly connected to the rocker arm (220).

6. The engine oil pan structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The outer wall of the housing (100) located on one side of the oil drain hole (110) is also provided with a mounting groove (120), the rotating shaft (210) is rotatably connected to the mounting groove (120), and the rocker arm (220) is located in the mounting groove (120).

7. The engine oil pan structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mounting groove (120) is provided with a clearance cavity (121) on the side away from the rotating shaft (210), and the clearance cavity (121) is used to accommodate the rocker arm (220).

8. The engine oil pan structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The rotating shaft (210) is provided with a first gear (211) and a second gear (212), the connecting rod (310) is provided with a first internal gear ring (312), and the rocker arm (220) is provided with a second internal gear ring (221). The first gear (211) meshes with the first internal gear ring (312), and the second gear (212) meshes with the second internal gear ring (221).

9. An engine oil pan structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, A limiting baffle (213) is provided at one end of the rotating shaft (210) away from the connecting rod (310), and the limiting baffle (213) is used to abut against the inner wall of the cavity of the housing (100).

10. An engine oil pan structure according to any one of claims 5-9, characterized in that, Sealing rings (400) are installed on both ends of the shaft (210), and the sealing rings (400) are used to seal the connection between the shaft (210) and the housing (100).

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