A crankshaft lubrication module for an automotive engine
By improving the torque-limiting structure of the oil cap and the crankshaft oil passage design, the problem of low lubrication quality of the crankshaft lubrication module in microvans/light commercial vehicles has been solved, ensuring accurate tightening of the oil cap and lubrication effect, and improving lubrication quality.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHONGQING XINYUAN DONGLI MFG CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
AI Technical Summary
The existing crankshaft lubrication modules in automotive engines have low lubrication quality in microvans/light commercial vehicles, with insufficient oil supply and poor sealing, which leads to contaminants entering the oil sump.
An oil cap structure was designed, including a cap plug and a cap handle. The oil cap tightening accuracy is ensured by the cooperation of the first torque limiting part and the second torque limiting part. The crankshaft oil passage is designed as the main shaft oil passage and the connecting rod oil passage, covering the crankshaft 360° circumferential oil supply and avoiding the lower bearing groove.
It enables intuitive judgment of the tightness of the oil cap, preventing it from being too tight or too loose, ensuring sealing effect, improving lubrication quality and ensuring oil supply, and avoiding a reduction in the strength of the lower bearing.
Smart Images
Figure CN224282751U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of automotive engine structure technology, and in particular relates to a crankshaft lubrication module for an automotive engine. Background Technology
[0002] The crankshaft is one of the core components of an automotive engine, typically composed of main journals, connecting rod journals, crank arms, counterweights, front shaft, and rear flange. The crankshaft converts the reciprocating motion of the pistons into rotational motion and transmits power to the transmission system. The crankshaft operates under extremely harsh conditions, enduring high speeds, high loads, high temperatures, and friction. Therefore, crankshaft lubrication is crucial for ensuring normal engine operation. Crankshaft lubrication generally involves an oil pump pumping engine oil from the sump to the upper and lower bearings of the main journals, and then through crankshaft oil passages to the outer circumference of the connecting rod journals.
[0003] Contaminated and deteriorated engine oil, as well as insufficient oil supply, are common problems during crankshaft lubrication. There are several reasons for contaminated and deteriorated engine oil, with poor sealing of the oil sump filler cap being a significant factor. Currently, the common threaded metal caps used to seal the oil sump filler cap not only have poor sealing performance but also make it difficult for users to accurately judge whether they are tightened properly during tightening. If not tightened, the seal will be ineffective, allowing contaminants to enter the oil sump through the filler cap. Conversely, if overtightened, the threads of the cap will be damaged, causing stripping. Furthermore, after the next oil fill, a stripped cap will be difficult to tighten, allowing contaminants to re-enter the oil sump through the filler cap. There are several reasons for insufficient engine oil supply. For microvans / light commercial vehicles, one reason is that the upper bearing of the crankshaft of this type of vehicle has an oil groove. However, because the lower bearing bears greater pressure, having an oil groove on it would reduce its strength. To ensure the reliable operation of the lower bearing, a better material needs to be used to make it. This is obviously not a good choice for microvans / light commercial vehicles that have strict cost control, so the lower bearing does not have an oil groove. Because the lower bearing does not have an oil groove, the existing inclined oil passage on the crankshaft can only supply oil to the connecting rod journal within a 180° circumferential range of crankshaft rotation (that is, when the inclined oil passage and the oil groove on the upper bearing are aligned). This results in insufficient oil supply during crankshaft lubrication.
[0004] In summary, for microvans / light commercial vehicles, the crankshaft lubrication module of existing automotive engines has low lubrication quality during the lubrication process. Utility Model Content
[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a crankshaft lubrication module for automobile engines, which solves the problem of low lubrication quality when the existing crankshaft lubrication modules for automobile engines are applied to microvans / light commercial vehicles.
[0006] To achieve the above and other related objectives, this utility model provides a crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine. An oil pump pumps engine oil from the oil sump to the upper bearing of the crankshaft's main journal, and then through crankshaft oil passages on the crankshaft, the oil enters the outer circumferential surface of the connecting rod journal. Engine oil in the oil sump is added through a filler port, which is sealed by an oil cap.
[0007] The oil filler cap includes a cap plug and a cap handle. The outer wall of the cap plug is provided with an external thread that matches the internal thread of the oil filler port. The cap plug is provided with a torque limiting part, and the cap handle is provided with a torque limiting part. The cap plug and the cap handle are mutually limited in the circumferential direction of the oil filler cap by the cooperation of the torque limiting part and the torque limiting part. When the torque applied to the cap handle drives the torque limiting part and the torque limiting part to disengage, the cap plug and the cap handle rotate relative to each other.
[0008] The crankshaft oil passage includes a main shaft oil passage and a connecting rod oil passage. The main shaft oil passage is located on the main journal of the crankshaft and extends radially through the main journal. One end of the connecting rod oil passage is connected to the main shaft oil passage, and the other end is located on the connecting rod journal of the crankshaft adjacent to the main journal.
[0009] As described above, the oil lubrication system for an automobile engine according to this utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:
[0010] The crankshaft lubrication module of this automotive engine uses a cap and a handle to mutually limit the torque of the cap in the circumferential direction. The design allows the user to visually feel the disengagement of the torque limiting parts when tightening the cap, thus accurately determining whether the cap is tight and preventing over-tightening. This maximizes the sealing effect of the cap on the filler neck, preventing contaminants from entering the oil sump. Simultaneously, oil passages are provided on the crankshaft journal. The crankshaft oil passage extends radially through the main journal, with one end connected to the main journal and the other end located on the connecting rod journal of the crankshaft adjacent to the main journal. This design ensures that even without an oil groove in the lower bearing, the crankshaft oil passage can still deliver oil to the outer circumferential surface of the connecting rod journal in the 360° circumferential direction of crankshaft rotation, guaranteeing the oil supply during crankshaft lubrication. In summary, the crankshaft lubrication module of this automotive engine, through the above structural design, solves the problem of low lubrication quality in existing automotive engine crankshaft lubrication modules when applied to microvans / light commercial vehicles. Attached Figure Description
[0011] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of a crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine according to this utility model.
[0012] Figure 2 The diagram shown is an exploded view of the oil cap and filler neck of this utility model.
[0013] Figure 3 The diagram shown is a schematic of the oil cap of this utility model.
[0014] Figure 4 The image shown is a circumferential sectional view of the oil cap of this utility model.
[0015] Figure 5 The image shown is an axial sectional view of the oil cap of this utility model.
[0016] Figure 6 The diagram shown is a schematic of the crankshaft and crankshaft oil passage of this utility model.
[0017] Component designation explanation
[0018] Oil reservoir 1, filler port 11;
[0019] 3. Oil cap, 31. Cap plug, 32. Cap handle, 33. Ratchet tooth, 34. Ratchet rack, 35. Ratchet rack base, 36. Claw, 37. Claw protrusion, 38. Torsion table, 39. Sealing plug;
[0020] Crankshaft oil passage 5, main shaft oil passage 51, connecting rod oil passage 52;
[0021] Crankshaft 6, main journal 61, connecting rod journal 62. Detailed Implementation
[0022] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification.
[0023] Please see Figures 1 to 6 It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, without affecting the effectiveness and purpose of this invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this invention. Furthermore, the terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," and "one" used in this specification are merely for clarity and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of this invention.
[0024] The following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only. These embodiments can be combined and are not limited to the content shown in any single embodiment below.
[0025] Please see Figure 1 This utility model provides a crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine. Like the prior art, this crankshaft lubrication module pumps oil from the oil sump 1 to the upper bearing of the main journal of the crankshaft 6 through an oil pump. Then, through the crankshaft oil passage 5 opened on the crankshaft, the oil enters the outer circumferential surface of the connecting rod journal 62. The oil in the oil sump 1 is added through the filler port 11, which is sealed by the oil cap 3.
[0026] The crankshaft lubrication module of this car engine differs from existing technologies in that:
[0027] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the oil filler cap 3 includes a cap plug 31 and a cap handle 32. The outer wall of the cap plug 31 is provided with an external thread that matches the internal thread of the filling port 11 of the oil sump 1. The cap plug 31 is provided with a torque limiting part, and the cap handle 32 is provided with a torque limiting part. The cap plug 31 and the cap handle 32 are mutually limited in the circumferential direction of the oil filler cap 3 by the cooperation of the torque limiting part and the torque limiting part. When the torque applied to the cap handle 32 drives the torque limiting part and the torque limiting part to disengage, the cap plug 31 and the cap handle 32 rotate relative to each other. The torque required to disengage the two torque limiting parts must be greater than the tightening force required to tighten the oil cap. When the user tightens the oil cap 3, they can intuitively feel the disengagement of the first and second torque limiting parts, thus accurately judging whether the oil cap 3 is tightened and avoiding over-tightening it. The structural design of the oil cap 3 ensures that the user will not experience poor sealing due to insufficient tightening, nor will over-tightening damage the threads of the oil cap 3, causing stripping and hindering the next oil filling. The specific structural form of the oil cap 3 will be described below.
[0028] like Figure 6 As shown, the crankshaft oil passage 5 includes a main shaft oil passage 51 and a connecting rod oil passage 52. The main shaft oil passage 51 is formed on the main journal 61 of the crankshaft 6 and passes through the main journal 61 radially. One end of the connecting rod oil passage 52 is connected to the main shaft oil passage 51, and the other end is formed on the connecting rod journal 62 of the crankshaft 6 adjacent to the main journal 61. The design of the crankshaft oil passage 5 allows the crankshaft oil passage 5 to deliver oil to the outer circumferential surface of the connecting rod journal 62 in the 360° circumferential direction of the crankshaft 6 even without oil grooves in the lower bearing. This ensures sufficient lubrication of the connecting rod journal 62 and guarantees the strength of the lower bearing without using high-cost materials.
[0029] In summary, the crankshaft lubrication module of this automotive engine, through the above-described structural design, solves the problem of low lubrication quality in existing automotive engine crankshaft lubrication modules when applied to microvans / light commercial vehicles.
[0030] In another implementation, please refer to Figures 2 to 5 We will now describe the specific structures of the first and second torque limiting parts. The cap 31 is a barrel-shaped structure with a closed bottom and an open top. The first torque limiting part consists of multiple ratchet teeth 33 arranged on the inner wall of the cap 31, with the ratchet teeth 33 evenly distributed along the circumference of the cap 31. The second torque limiting part consists of a ratchet bar 34 arranged on the cap handle 32. The ratchet bar 34 and the ratchet teeth 33 mesh together. When the user needs to tighten the oil cap 3, such as... Figure 4When the cap handle 32 is turned clockwise, the ratchet tooth 33 and the ratchet bar 34 engage when it is not tightened. When tightened, if the user applies more force to turn the cap handle 32, the ratchet bar 34 and the ratchet tooth 33 disengage, and the cap handle 32 and the cap plug 31 rotate relative to each other. The torsional force applied by the user can no longer be transmitted to the cap plug 31 through the cap handle 32, and the external thread on the outer wall of the cap plug 31 will no longer be tightened with the internal thread of the filling port 11. Similarly, when the ratchet bar 34 rotates to the next ratchet tooth 33, the two will disengage. When the user needs to loosen the oil cap 3, such as... Figure 4 As shown, when the cover handle 32 is turned counterclockwise, because the ratchet bar 34 and ratchet teeth 33 have the inverted tooth structure shown in the figure, the ratchet bar 34 and ratchet teeth 33 remain engaged even when a torsional force exceeding the tightening force is applied, thus successfully loosening the oil cap 3.
[0031] In another implementation, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 There are multiple ratchet bars 34, which are fixed to the lower surface of the cover handle 32 at equal intervals along the circumference of the cover handle 32; to ensure the stability of the fit between the cover handle 32 and the cover plug 31 when the cover handle 32 is turned.
[0032] In another implementation, please refer to Figure 4 With the central axis of the cover handle 32 as the axis, six ratchet bases 35 are arranged at equal intervals in a circle on the lower part of the cover handle 32. The ratchet bases 35 are fixed to the lower part of the cover handle 32, and the ratchet 34 is fixed to the outside of the ratchet bases 35. The design of the ratchet bases 35 further ensures the stability of the fit between the cover handle 32 and the cover plug 31 when the cover handle 32 is turned.
[0033] In another implementation, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5 The cover handle 32 is provided with a claw 36 on its outer side, and the top of the cover plug 31 is provided with a locking protrusion 37 in the radial direction. The claw 36 engages with the locking protrusion 37 in the axial direction of the oil cover 3, ensuring that the cover handle 32 and the cover plug 31 can not separate in the axial direction, but can rotate relative to each other in the circumferential direction.
[0034] In another implementation, please refer to Figure 5 There are at least three claws 36, which are arranged at equal intervals on the outer side of the cover handle 32 along the circumference of the cover handle 32, so as to ensure that the cover handle 32 and the cover plug 31 can be stably connected in the axial direction without disengaging; more specifically, the claws 36 can be designed to be eight or other numbers, which will not be elaborated here.
[0035] In another implementation, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3A sealing plug 39 is installed between the cap 31 and the filling port 11 to further ensure the sealing effect of the oil cap 3.
[0036] In another implementation, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The connection between the connecting rod oil passage 52 and the main shaft oil passage 51 is on the side of the main shaft oil passage 51 away from the connecting rod journal 62. Because the end of the oil pressed out from the oil groove of the upper bearing enters the main shaft oil passage 51 on the side away from the connecting rod journal 62, the structure of this embodiment allows the oil entering the main shaft oil passage 51 to enter the connecting rod oil passage 52 more quickly, and then spray out from the connecting rod oil passage 52 onto the connecting rod journal 62, achieving a lubrication effect.
[0037] In another implementation, please refer to Figure 6 The angle between the central axis of the main shaft oil passage 51 and the central axis of the connecting rod oil passage 52 is 36.26°. This angle is chosen to meet the size requirements of the crankshaft 6 of the microvan / light commercial vehicle engine, and through testing, it has also been found to have a good lubrication effect.
[0038] In other implementations, such as Figure 4 As shown, a torsion plate 38 is fixed to the top of the cover 32. The surface of the torsion plate 38 is provided with anti-slip texture to facilitate the user to turn the oil cap 3.
[0039] In summary, this invention, through the structural design of the oil cap 3 and crankshaft oil passage 5 in the crankshaft lubrication module of an automotive engine, allows users to accurately determine whether the oil cap 3 is tightened, and also avoids over-tightening it. Even without an oil groove in the lower bearing, the crankshaft oil passage 5 can still deliver oil to the outer circumferential surface of the connecting rod journal 62 in the 360° circumferential direction of crankshaft 6 rotation. This solves the problem of low lubrication quality in existing automotive engine crankshaft lubrication modules when applied to microvans / light commercial vehicles. Therefore, this invention effectively overcomes the shortcomings of existing technologies and has high industrial application value.
[0040] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.
Claims
1. A crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine, wherein an oil pump pumps oil from an oil sump to the upper bearing of the main journal of the crankshaft, and then the oil enters the outer circumferential surface of the connecting rod journal through a crankshaft oil passage formed on the crankshaft; the oil in the oil sump is added through a filler port, and the filler port is sealed by an oil cap; Its features are: The oil filler cap includes a cap plug and a cap handle. The outer wall of the cap plug is provided with an external thread that matches the internal thread of the oil filler port. The cap plug is provided with a torque limiting part, and the cap handle is provided with a torque limiting part. The cap plug and the cap handle are mutually limited in the circumferential direction of the oil filler cap by the cooperation of the torque limiting part and the torque limiting part. When the torque applied to the cap handle drives the torque limiting part and the torque limiting part to disengage, the cap plug and the cap handle rotate relative to each other. The crankshaft oil passage includes a main shaft oil passage and a connecting rod oil passage. The main shaft oil passage is located on the main journal of the crankshaft and extends radially through the main journal. One end of the connecting rod oil passage is connected to the main shaft oil passage, and the other end is located on the connecting rod journal of the crankshaft adjacent to the main journal.
2. The crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cap is a barrel-shaped structure that is closed at the bottom and open at the top. The first part of the torque limiting is a plurality of ratchet teeth provided on the inner wall of the cap, and the plurality of ratchet teeth are evenly distributed along the circumference of the cap. The second part of the torque limiting is a ratchet bar provided on the cap handle. Both the ratchet bar and the ratchet teeth are reverse teeth and mesh together.
3. The crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ratchet bars are multiple in number and are fixedly attached to the lower surface of the cover handle at equal intervals along the circumference of the cover handle.
4. The crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side of the cover handle is provided with a claw, and the top of the cover plug is provided with a locking protrusion in the radial direction. The claw engages with the locking protrusion in the axial direction of the oil cover.
5. The crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection between the connecting rod oil passage and the main shaft oil passage is located on the side of the main shaft oil passage away from the connecting rod journal.
6. The crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle between the central axis of the main shaft oil passage and the central axis of the connecting rod oil passage is 36.26°.
7. The crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A torsion platform is fixed to the top of the cover handle, and the surface of the torsion platform is provided with anti-slip texture.
8. The crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lower part of the cover handle is fixed with multiple ratchet bases, and the multiple ratchet bases are arranged in a circle with equal spacing around the central axis of the cover handle. The ratchet bar is fixed to the outside of the ratchet bar base.
9. A crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine according to claim 4, characterized in that: There are at least three claws, which are arranged at equal intervals on the outer side of the cover handle along the circumference of the cover handle.
10. A crankshaft lubrication module for an automobile engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing plug is installed between the cap and the filling port.