BLOW-BY GAS TREATMENT DEVICE

Abstract

Blow-by gas treatment device (8) for an internal combustion engine (1) mounted on a vehicle (V), the blow-by gas treatment device (8) comprising: a blow-by gas line (10) with a downwardly directed outlet section (9) open to the atmosphere; and a collecting container (20) into which the outlet section (9) of the blow-by gas line (10) is inserted and which is configured to collect oil discharged from the outlet section (9) of the blow-by gas line (10), wherein the collecting container (20) contains: an upper end opening portion (22) formed at an upper end (21) of the collecting container (20) and into which the outlet portion (9) of the blow-by gas line (10) is inserted from above, a discharge hole (24) formed in an upper portion of a rear surface portion (23) of the collecting container (20), the rear surface portion (23) being located on a rear side in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and a cut-out portion (26) formed at an upper portion of a side surface portion of the header container (20), the side surface portion being located at an outer side in a vehicle width direction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a blow-by gas treatment device and, more particularly, to a blow-by gas treatment device for an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] In an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle, a blow-by gas treatment device is known which releases blow-by gas escaping from an outlet portion of a blow-by gas line into a crankcase from a gap between a piston and a cylinder to the atmosphere. CITATION LISTPATENT LITERATURE

[0003] Patent Literature 1: JP-2006-220120 A

[0004] JP 2016-183604 A and JP 2012-102697 A describe blow-by gas treatment devices. Furthermore, JP 2002-97919 A ​​describes a ventilation device for an engine. US 6167849 B1 describes a crankcase ventilation system for an oil separator, and EP 2426324 B1 describes an intake system for an engine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0005] When the blow-by gas is released to the atmosphere in this way, there is a concern that since oil contained in the blow-by gas is also released to the atmosphere from the outlet section of the blow-by gas line, components around the outlet section and a road surface may be contaminated.

[0006] In view of these circumstances, the present disclosure has been made, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a blow-by gas treatment device that can prevent components or the like from being contaminated by oil in the blow-by gas. SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a blow-by gas treatment device for an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle, the blow-by gas treatment device including: a blow-by gas line having a downwardly directed outlet section open to the atmosphere; and a collecting container into which the outlet section of the blow-by gas line is inserted and which is configured to collect oil discharged from the outlet section of the blow-by gas line, wherein the collection container contains: an upper end opening portion formed at an upper end of the header tank and into which the outlet portion of the blow-by gas line is inserted from above, a discharge hole formed in an upper portion of a rear surface portion of the collecting container, the rear surface portion being located on a rear side in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and a cutout portion formed at an upper portion of a side surface portion of the header container, the side surface portion being located at an outer side in a vehicle width direction.

[0008] It is preferred that the cut-out portion is cut from a height position of the upper end of the collecting container to a lower position than the outlet portion of the blow-by gas line.

[0009] It is preferable that a plurality of ejection holes are provided.

[0010] It is preferable that the plurality of ejection holes are arranged in a staggered manner.

[0011] It is preferable that the discharge hole or holes are formed only in the upper portion of the rear surface portion of the collecting container.

[0012] It is preferable that the internal combustion engine is arranged vertically in the vehicle and the reservoir is configured to be detachably attached to a side surface portion of a flywheel housing of the internal combustion engine. ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0013] According to the present disclosure, the components or the like can be prevented from being contaminated by the oil in the blow-by gas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating a vehicle. Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating an outlet portion of a blow-by gas line and a collection tank. Fig. Figure 3 is a rear cross-sectional view illustrating the outlet portion of the blow-by gas line and the collection tank. Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view illustrating a gas flow in an idle stop state. Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view illustrating a gas flow in a low-speed running state. Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view illustrating a gas flow in a high-speed running state. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of a vehicle on which a blow-by gas treatment device of the present embodiment is mounted. Front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower directions are as illustrated. A vehicle V is a cab-over truck. However, a vehicle type is not limited. The vehicle V includes a ladder frame 2, a cab 3 defining a passenger compartment, front, rear, left, and right tires 4 (only tires on a front side are shown), and a loading platform 5.

[0016] A diesel engine serving as an internal combustion engine (engine) 1 is mounted vertically on the vehicle V. However, the type of internal combustion engine is not limited. A clutch 6 and a transmission 7 are sequentially connected to a rear side of the engine 1.

[0017] The engine 1 includes a blow-by gas treatment device 8. The blow-by gas treatment device 8 includes a blow-by gas line 10 having a downwardly directed outlet portion 9 open to the atmosphere and a collection container 20 into which the outlet portion 9 of the blow-by gas line 10 is inserted and which collects oil discharged from the outlet portion 9 of the blow-by gas line 10.

[0018] Blow-by gas introduced from a specific portion of the engine 1 flows through the blow-by gas passage 10. In the present embodiment, the blow-by gas passage 10 is formed of a rubber hose and disposed outside the engine 1. However, a material of the blow-by gas passage 10 may be any material. For example, an inlet portion 11 of the blow-by gas passage 10 is connected to a head cover 12 and exhausts blow-by gas from the head cover 12. However, an exhaust position of the blow-by gas may be changed.

[0019] The outlet portion 9 of the blow-by gas line 10 is located at a position of a side surface portion of a cylindrical flywheel housing 13 that houses a flywheel (not shown) of the engine 1. Therefore, the collection tank 20 is detachably attached to the side surface of the flywheel housing 13 so that the oil discharged from the outlet portion 9 along with the blow-by gas can be collected. In the present embodiment, the outlet portion 9 and the collection tank 20 are arranged on a left side surface portion of the flywheel housing 13. However, the installation position may be changed, and the outlet portion 9 and the collection tank 20 may be arranged, for example, on a right side surface portion. Fig. 4 schematically shows an installation state of the outlet section 9 of the blow-by gas line 10 and the collecting tank 20.

[0020] Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 shows the outlet portion 9 of the blow-by gas pipe 10 and the collection tank 20 in more detail. The blow-by gas pipe 10 is covered from the outside by a heat-insulating member 14 made of a sponge or the like over an entire length including the outlet portion 9, so that the blow-by gas pipe 10 is kept warm. Thus, moisture in the blow-by gas within the blow-by gas pipe 10 can be prevented from condensing and freezing at low outside air temperatures, and an inside of the blow-by gas pipe 10 can be prevented from being blocked by ice generated by freezing.

[0021] The outlet section 9 of the blow-by gas line 10 is directed downwards. Furthermore, as in Fig. As shown in FIG. 3, an end surface of the outlet portion 9 protrudes from the heat-insulating member 14 toward a downstream side (downward) in the blow-by gas flow direction and is cut obliquely. Thus, the oil flowing along an inner surface of the blow-by gas passage 10 (to be described later) can be collected at a lower end position of the inclined end surface and dripped from it, and the dripping position of the oil can be controlled.

[0022] Hereinafter, unless otherwise stated, the blow-by gas line 10 and the outlet section 9 also include the heat-insulating member 14 around the blow-by gas line 10 and the outlet section 9 for the sake of simplicity.

[0023] The outlet portion 9 is detachably fixed to a left side surface portion of the flywheel housing 13 via a tie band 15 and a bracket 16.

[0024] Meanwhile, the header tank 20 includes an upper end opening portion 22 formed at an upper end 21 of the header tank 20 and into which the outlet portion 9 is inserted from above, a discharge hole 24 formed in an upper portion of a rear surface portion 23 located on a rear side in a vehicle longitudinal direction of the header tank 20, and a cutout portion 26 formed in an upper portion of a side surface portion (left side surface portion 25) located on an outer side (left side) in a vehicle width direction of the header tank 20. The cutout portion 26 is cut out from a height position of the upper end 21 of the header tank 20 to a lower position than the outlet portion 9.

[0025] The upper end opening portion 22 is formed by fully opening the upper end 21 or the upper surface of the header tank 20. Therefore, the header tank 20 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape in which the upper end 21 is opened. The outlet portion 9 is inserted into the header tank 20 from the upper end opening portion 22 by a predetermined length. Therefore, a position of a lower end of the outlet portion 9 is lower than the upper end 21. The outlet portion 9 and the upper end portion of the header tank 20 overlap each other by a predetermined length in a height direction. This can prevent oil dropped from the outlet portion 9 from passing over the upper end 21 by a traveling wind and being ejected outside the tank.

[0026] The discharge hole 24 has a circular shape, and a plurality of discharge holes 24 are provided. The discharge holes 24 are arranged in a staggered manner and provided only in an upper portion of the rear surface portion 23. This is because the oil collected in the reservoir may leak out if the discharge holes are provided in a lower portion of the rear surface portion 23. Specifically, the discharge holes 24 are intensively provided in a portion of the rear surface portion 23 that has the same lateral width as the discharge portion 9 in a rear view. The shape, number, arrangement, and the like of the discharge holes 24 are changeable.

[0027] The cutout portion 26 is formed by cutting a corner portion where the upper end 21 and the left side surface portion 25 intersect slightly obliquely with respect to an upper-lower direction. The cutout portion 26 is defined by a lower side portion 27 formed in the left side surface portion 25 and extending horizontally in a front-rear direction, and a front oblique side portion 28 and a rear oblique side portion 29. The front oblique side portion 28 connects a front end of the lower side portion 27 and a front portion of the upper end 21, and the rear oblique side portion 29 connects a rear end of the lower side portion 27 and a rear portion of the upper end 21.In a rear view, both the front slanting side portion 28 and the rear slanting side portion 29 are inclined at a relatively small angle with respect to the up-and-down direction, so that they are directed inward (right) in the vehicle width direction as they go up. The cutout portion 26 is continuous with the upper end opening portion 22. A right end position of the cutout portion 26, that is, upper end positions of the front slanting side portion 28 and the rear slanting side portion 29, are located outward (left) in the vehicle width direction with respect to the outlet portion 9.

[0028] An inclined surface portion 31 is formed at a lower portion of the right side surface portion 30 of the reservoir 20 to follow an outer shape of the left side surface portion of the flywheel housing 13.

[0029] A reservoir bracket 32 ​​is fixed to a front surface portion of the collecting reservoir 20. On the other hand, another bracket, that is, a housing bracket 33, is preliminarily attached to the flywheel housing 13. The reservoir bracket 32 ​​is detachably fixed to the housing bracket 33 by a plurality of bolts 34 (two in the present embodiment). Thus, the collecting reservoir 20 is detachably fixed to the left side surface portion of the flywheel housing 13.

[0030] A plurality of introduction holes 35 for allowing the introduction of running wind are provided in the front surface portion of the header tank 20, but the introduction holes 35 may be omitted.

[0031] In the configuration where the blow-by gas is discharged to the atmosphere, as in the present embodiment, the oil contained in the blow-by gas is also discharged to the atmosphere along with the blow-by gas from the outlet portion 9 of the blow-by gas passage 10. Therefore, if no countermeasure is taken, that is, if the collection tank 20 is not provided, there is a possibility that components (particularly, the flywheel housing 13) around the outlet portion 9 and a road surface may be contaminated.

[0032] That is, the blow-by gas contains oil mist (very fine oil particles). When the oil mist gradually adheres to the inside of the blow-by gas pipe 10 and gathers into droplets, the droplets flow downward along the inner surface of the blow-by gas pipe 10 and are discharged from the outlet portion 9. If the collection container 20 is not provided, there is a possibility that the components around the outlet portion 9 and the road surface immediately below the outlet portion 9 will be contaminated by the discharged oil. In addition, if the oil adheres to a component, oil leakage from the adhered portion may be mistakenly detected, which may lead to improper vehicle maintenance. Of course, the appearance will also deteriorate.

[0033] The blow-by gas also contains water vapor, which can be mixed with oil to form a mixed liquid, such mixed liquid also being contained in the oil, causing the problem described above.

[0034] Since the collection tank 20 is provided in the present embodiment, the oil discharged from the outlet portion 9 can be reliably collected by the collection tank 20. This can prevent components around the outlet portion 9 and the road surface from being contaminated by the oil.

[0035] Since the reservoir 20 of the present embodiment has a special shape as described above, the oil discharged from the outlet portion 9 can be treated in different modes according to a vehicle speed. This point will be described below.

[0036] Fig. 4 shows a flow of gas in a state where the engine 1 is idling and the vehicle V is stopped (vehicle speed is zero), that is, in an idling stop state. The blow-by gas discharged from the outlet portion 9 swirls in the header tank 20 as indicated by a flow f1, then rises as indicated by a flow f2, and is discharged and diffused into an engine room outside the tank mainly through the cutout portion 26. The oil mist in the blow-by gas discharged from the outlet portion 9 is also discharged and diffused to the tank outside with the flow of the blow-by gas. There are substantially no components in a vicinity of the upper side of the header tank 20, and therefore, adhesion of the oil to a component is prevented.

[0037] Fig. Figure 5 illustrates a gas flow in a state where the vehicle V is traveling at a relatively low speed, that is, in a low-speed traveling state. For example, the speed at this time is a speed at which an engine temperature is the highest and heat damage is likely, and is, for example, 35 km / h.

[0038] At this time, as the vehicle is moving, the airstream indicated by the currents f3 and f4 is generated. Since many components of the engine 1 are located in front of the collecting tank 20 (see Fig. 1), the airflow tends to pass through a vicinity on a left side of the collection container 20 from front to rear. A portion (referred to as a first portion) f3 of the airflow passes through the cutout portion 26, and another portion (referred to as a second portion) f4 of the airflow enters the container from the cutout portion 26 and is discharged from the discharge holes 24.

[0039] The blow-by gas discharged from the outlet portion 9 swirls in the same manner as the flow f1 in the header tank 20 and is then discharged to the outside of the tank along with the flow of the traveling air. Part of the blow-by gas flows rearward by riding on the first portion f3 of the traveling air after exiting the cutout portion 26, and the other part of the blow-by gas is discharged from the discharge holes 24 to the outside of the tank by riding on the second portion f4 of the traveling air. The oil mist in the blow-by gas discharged from the outlet portion 9 is also discharged and diffused to the outside of the tank by riding on the flow of the blow-by gas.

[0040] As in Fig. 1, a width in the vehicle width direction of the clutch 6 adjacent to a rear side of the flywheel housing 13 is sequentially reduced from a width corresponding to that of the flywheel housing 13 to the rear side, and a width of the transmission 7 is also narrower than that of the flywheel housing 13. The heights of the clutch 6 and the transmission 7, although not shown, have the same tendency. Thus, there is a large space behind the header tank 20 in which substantially no components are located. In the present embodiment, since the oil mist is actively directed and discharged to the space behind the header tank 20, adhesion of the oil to the components can be prevented.

[0041] Fig. Figure 6 illustrates a flow of the gas in a state where the vehicle V is traveling at a relatively high speed, that is, in a high-speed traveling state. For example, the speed at this time is a speed close to a maximum speed of the vehicle, for example, 110 km / h.

[0042] The airflow at this time has a considerably high speed. Similar to the above, there is the first section f3 passing through the vicinity on the left side of the collecting tank 20, and the second section f4 entering the tank from the cutout section 26 and exiting from the ejection holes 24.

[0043] Immediately after the blow-by gas is discharged from the exhaust portion 9, the blow-by gas enters the second portion f4 and is immediately discharged from the discharge holes 24 to the outside of the container. The same applies to the oil mist in the blow-by gas, and the oil mist is discharged into a rear space where there are substantially no components. This can prevent the oil from adhering to the components.

[0044] According to the present embodiment, as described above, as in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the flow (the second section f4) of the traveling wind can be generated, which enters the header tank 20 from the cutout portion 26 and exits from the discharge holes 24. Then, the blow-by gas and the oil mist discharged from the outlet portion 9 ride on the flow of the traveling wind and can be discharged rearward from the discharge holes 24. The flow of the blow-by gas and the oil mist thus has directionality, and the blow-by gas and the oil mist can be reliably guided and discharged in a target direction (i.e., rearward) in which the blow-by gas and the oil mist are unlikely to adhere to the components. Accordingly, the adhesion of the oil to the components can be prevented.

[0045] Since the cutout portion 26 is cut out to a lower position than the outlet portion 9, the airflow entering the collection container 20 from the cutout portion 26 can pass directly below the outlet portion 9. The blow-by gas exiting the outlet portion 9 can therefore immediately ride on the airflow and be expelled to the outside.

[0046] Furthermore, as in Fig.As shown in Figure 5, the blow-by gas and oil mist that rise and then exit from the cutout portion 26 can be discharged rearward by riding on the first portion f3 of the traveling wind. Since the cutout portion 26 is obliquely cut and defined by the front oblique side portion 28 and the rear oblique side portion 29, an opening area of ​​the cutout portion 26 can be increased when viewed in plan view, and the blow-by gas exiting from the cutout portion 26 can be efficiently connected to the first portion f3 of the traveling wind. Thereby, the blow-by gas and oil mist can be efficiently discharged.

[0047] When an amount of oil accumulated in the collecting tank 20 reaches a predetermined amount, the collecting tank 20 is detached by loosening the bolts 34, and thus an inside of the collecting tank 20 can be easily cleaned while recovering the accumulated oil.

[0048] Although the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described in detail above, various other embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure are conceivable.

[0049] (1) For example, the upper end opening portion 22 of the header tank 20 may not be formed by opening the entire upper end 21 of the header tank 20, and may be formed by a hole having a minimum size into which the outlet portion 9 of the blow-by gas pipe 10 can be inserted.

[0050] (2) The heat insulating member 14 around the blow-by gas line 10 may be omitted.

[0051] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the embodiments described above, and all modifications, applications, and equivalents that fall within the spirit of the present invention as defined by the claims are included in the present invention. Accordingly, the present disclosure should not be construed as limiting and can be applied to any other technology within the scope of the present invention.

[0052] This application is based on Japanese patent application filed on August 23, 2019 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-152883), and the contents thereof are incorporated herein by reference. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0053] The blow-by gas treatment device of the present invention is useful in that the components and the like can be prevented from being contaminated by the oil in the blow-by gas. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS V vehicle 1 internal combustion engine (engine) 2 ladder frames 3 cabins 4 left and right tires 5 Loading platform 6 Clutch 7 Gearbox8: Blow-by gas treatment device 9 Outlet section 10 Blow-by gas line 13 Flywheel housing 20 collection containers 21 Upper end 22 Upper end opening section 23 Rear surface section 24 ejection hole 25 Left side surface section 26 Cut-out section

Claims

A blow-by gas treatment device (8) for an internal combustion engine (1) mounted on a vehicle (V), the blow-by gas treatment device (8) comprising: a blow-by gas line (10) having a downwardly directed outlet portion (9) open to the atmosphere;and a collecting tank (20) into which the outlet portion (9) of the blow-by gas line (10) is inserted and which is configured to collect oil discharged from the outlet portion (9) of the blow-by gas line (10). The collecting tank (20) includes: an upper end opening portion (22) formed at an upper end (21) of the collecting tank (20) and into which the outlet portion (9) of the blow-by gas line (10) is inserted from above; a discharge hole (24) formed in an upper portion of a rear surface portion (23) of the collecting tank (20), the rear surface portion (23) being located on a rear side in a vehicle longitudinal direction; and a cutout portion (26) formed at an upper portion of a side surface portion of the collecting tank (20), the side surface portion being located on an outer side in a vehicle width direction. Blow-by gas treatment device (8) according to claim 1, wherein the cut-out portion (26) is cut out from a height position of the upper end (21) of the collecting container (20) to a lower position than the outlet portion (9) of the blow-by gas line (10). Blow-by gas treatment device (8) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of discharge holes (24) are provided. Blow-by gas treatment device (8) according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of discharge holes (24) are arranged in a staggered manner. Blow-by gas treatment device (8) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the discharge hole (24) or the discharge holes (24) is / are formed only in the upper portion of the rear surface portion (23) of the collecting container (20). Blow-by gas treatment device (8) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the internal combustion engine (1) is arranged vertically on the vehicle (V), and wherein the collection container (20) is configured to be detachably attached to a side surface portion (25) of a flywheel housing (13) of the internal combustion engine (1).

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