ENGINE OIL FILTER CARTRIDGE WITH PERIPHERAL RESERVOIR

Abstract

Engine oil filter cartridge comprising a substantially cylindrical housing (4) containing a filter, having on one side a transverse face for bearing against the engine (2) including a central screw hole on this engine (2) and a sealing gasket on its perimeter, the housing (4) being surrounded by a flange (6) having axially, on the side facing the bearing face, a continuous opening on the perimeter of this housing (4), and on the other side a closed rim (10) fitted onto the housing (4), which forms a peripheral fluid reservoir. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: THERMAL ENGINE OIL FILTRATION CARTRIDGE WITH PERIPHERAL RESERVE

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermal engine oil filtration cartridge comprising a peripheral reserve, as well as a motor vehicle comprising a thermal engine equipped with such a filtration cartridge.

[0002] A known type of filter cartridge, presented in particular by document FRAI-3000764, comprises a cylindrical housing made of sheet metal comprising on one side a bottom, and on the other side a transverse closing sheet having a threaded central bore and a series of fluid passage holes surrounding this bore. The cartridge containing the filter is screwed by its central bore onto a sleeve of the motor having an axial passage, a seal around the housing and resting on a plane of the motor casing providing the seal towards the outside.

[0003] The filter cartridge, arranged in series with the oil pump, imposes a passage between the interior of the filter in the form of a crown, connected to the axial bore of the sleeve, and the exterior contour of this crown connected to the fluid passage holes of the closing sheet.

[0004] The filter cartridge can be positioned in any position on the thermal engine. When changing the engine oil, the operator first empties the engine casing by opening the drain plug, then proceeds to change the filter cartridge. In particular, a common arrangement involves screwing it under a substantially horizontal plane of the engine, giving an operator working below the vehicle mounted on a lift easy access to the cartridge to unscrew and change it.

[0005] However, when unscrewing the oil-filled cartridge, a small volume of oil remaining above the filter in the engine housing may flow around the cartridge when the seal is loosened from this housing. This results in drips around the cartridge which can cause problems of soiling the operator's hands with a fluid containing chemical components which are aggressive to the skin, of dirt which is difficult to clean, and of pollution of the environment.

[0006] The present invention aims in particular to avoid these problems of the prior art.

[0007] To this end, it proposes a thermal engine oil filtration cartridge comprising a substantially cylindrical housing containing a filter, having on one side a transverse bearing face on the engine comprising a central screwing hole on this engine and a seal on its contour, this cartridge being remarkable in that the housing is surrounded by a collar having axially on the side facing the bearing face a continuous opening on the contour of this housing, and on the other side a closed rim fitted to the housing, which forms a peripheral fluid reserve.

[0008] An advantage of this filtration cartridge is that in the case of mounting below a thermal engine, when unscrewing the cartridge, when the sealing gasket comes loose from the bearing face of the engine, a small volume of oil remaining in the crankcase of this engine flowing around the gasket is automatically recovered by the reserve thanks to its opening which is continuous around the contour of the housing.

[0009] By adding a collar to an existing type of filter cartridge, a small volume of oil can be recovered economically, which can remain in the engine casing above this cartridge during oil change, thereby avoiding its loss through external leaks with risks for the operator's hands or for the environment.

[0010] The filtration cartridge according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following characteristics, which may be combined with each other.

[0011] Advantageously, the collar has a cylindrical shape centered on the axis of the housing.

[0012] In this case, advantageously the collar has a radial distance from the housing of between 3 and 10 millimeters.

[0013] Advantageously, the continuous opening of the collar has a circular shape that flares outwards.

[0014] In this case, advantageously the outer rim of the flared shape is arranged at a radial distance from the seal of between 5 and 15 millimeters.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the collar is formed by a stamped metal sheet or by a molding of a plastic material.

[0016] In particular, the collar may be glued, clamped or crimped onto the outer contour of the housing.

[0017] Advantageously, the collar axially surrounds more than half of the housing, leaving free gripping grooves formed on this housing.

[0018] The invention also relates to a heat engine equipped with a lubricating oil circuit comprising in series a filtration cartridge comprising any one of the preceding characteristics.

[0019] The invention further relates to a motor vehicle equipped with a heat engine comprising a filtration cartridge comprising any one of the preceding characteristics, which is clamped below a support face of the engine arranged substantially horizontally.

[0020] The invention will be better understood and other characteristics and advantages will appear more clearly on reading the description given below by way of example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0021] [Fig.l] is a side view of a filtration cartridge according to the invention fixed below a bearing face of a heat engine;

[0022] [Fig.2] is a top view of this cartridge alone; and

[0023] [Fig.3] is an axial sectional view of this cartridge.

[0024] Throughout the document the vertical direction is established for a vehicle placed on horizontal ground, the upper or above indications being relative to this vertical direction.

[0025] Figures 1, 2 and 3 show a filter cartridge comprising a housing 4 formed from a stamped sheet metal, which is screwed below a substantially horizontal plane of a heat engine casing 2. The housing 4 has a cylindrical shape arranged along a main axis, comprising a closed lower bottom, and on the contour of its base a series of vertical gripping grooves 12 allowing this housing to be gripped in order to screw or unscrew it.

[0026] The upper part of the housing 4 comprises a thick closing sheet 20 having a central bore 22 containing a thread which is screwed onto a threaded sleeve 28 projecting below a support plane of the casing of the thermal engine 2. The closing sheet 20 comprises a series of holes 26 distributed around the central bore 22.

[0027] A circular seal 24, arranged around the closing plate 20, provides the seal between the housing 4 and the support plane of the motor casing 2 once the cartridge is screwed in, leaving a small internal volume of oil above this plate.

[0028] The housing 4 comprises an internal filter 30 forming a crown comprising the exterior connected to the holes 26 for passage of the closing plate 20, and the interior connected to the axial passage of the sleeve of the casing 28. A pressure limiting valve 32 is arranged at the base of the housing 4, inside the filter 30, to allow the fluid to pass in the event of this filter becoming clogged.

[0029] A cylindrical collar 6 axially surrounding more than the upper half of the housing 4, leaving the gripping grooves 12 free, with a constant thickness interval of between 3 and 10 mm, has at its base a rim 10 which returns towards the housing to tighten it, forming a receptacle closed from below constituting a peripheral reserve of oil.

[0030] The upper part of the collar 6 has a fluid guide shape that flares outwards 8 and continues around the periphery of this collar, comprising an upper edge spaced from the seal 24 by a radial distance D of between 5 and 15 millimeters.

[0031] The collar 6 can be formed by stamping a sheet metal directly giving the upper flared shape 8 and the lower closing edge 10. Alternatively, the collar 6 can be produced by molding a plastic material directly giving all of its shapes.

[0032] The lower closing edge 10 of the collar 6 can be fixed to the housing 4 by any method, including in particular clamping on the outer cylindrical contour of this collar, gluing, welding or brazing.

[0033] It will be noted that the operations of screwing or unscrewing the filter cartridge use the grooves 12 formed at the base of the housing 4, forming a gripping surface, without applying force to the collar 6, which makes it possible to provide a fixing of this housing which does not transmit force.

[0034] When changing the filter cartridge of the thermal engine, after unscrewing the drain plug and waiting for most of the oil contained in the engine casing 2 to flow out, the operator unscrews the housing 4 of this cartridge. When the sealing gasket 24 loses its grip on the bearing face of the engine casing 2, a small volume of oil remaining above the closing plate 20 flows around this gasket.

[0035] Thanks to the radial distance D spacing the upper edge of the flared shape 8 of the collar 6, continuous on the contour, the oil flowing around the seal 24 automatically descends into the reserve formed by this collar regardless of the side where this oil flows. The operator then keeps the cartridge vertical after its complete unscrewing, then moves it to place it and empty it into a suitable container, without risk of dripping next to it.

[0036] Advantageously, an internal reserve volume is provided formed in the collar 6 which is greater than the volume of oil which can remain above the cartridge after the engine has been drained, so as to receive this complete volume.

[0037] By adding a collar 6 to an existing type of filtration cartridge, with little change in cost, protection for both the operator and the environment is obtained in a simple and effective manner.

Claims

Claims

1. Thermal engine oil filtration cartridge comprising a cylindrical housing (4) containing a filter (30), having on one side a transverse face for bearing on the engine (2) comprising a central bore (22) for screwing onto this engine (2) and a seal (24) on its contour, characterized in that the housing (4) is surrounded by a collar (6) having axially on the side facing the bearing face a continuous opening on the contour of this housing (4), and on the other side a closed rim (10) fitted on the housing (4), which forms a peripheral fluid reserve.

2. Cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that the collar (6) has a cylindrical shape centered on the axis of the housing (4).

3. Cartridge according to claim 2, characterized in that the collar (6) has a radial distance from the housing (4) of between 3 and 10 millimeters.

4. Cartridge according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the continuous opening of the collar (6) has a circular shape flared outwards (8).

5. Cartridge according to claim 4, characterized in that the outer rim of the flared shape (8) is arranged at a radial distance (D) from the seal of between 5 and 15 millimeters.

6. Cartridge according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the collar (6) is formed by a stamped metal sheet or by a molding of a plastic material.

7. Cartridge according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the collar (6) is glued, clamped or crimped onto the outer contour of the housing (4).

8. Cartridge according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the collar (6) axially surrounds more than half of the housing (4) while leaving free gripping grooves (12) formed on this housing (4).

9. Thermal engine equipped with a lubricating oil circuit, characterized in that this circuit comprises in series with the oil pump a filtration cartridge according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. Motor vehicle equipped with a thermal engine, characterized in that this engine comprises a filtration cartridge according to one of any of claims 1 to 8, which is clamped below a horizontally arranged bearing face of the motor (2).

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