Hook device for engine

Abstract

To provide an engine-suspending hook device having compound functions for actualizing improved workability and compactification.SOLUTION: A hook device 24 includes a vertically longitudinal base plate 23 to be fixed to a cylinder head 6, and a hook plate (a second hook) 22 fixed to one branch part 29 pf the base plate 23 with an auxiliary bolt 32, the base plate 23 including a second branch part 30, the second branch part 30 serving for fixing a heat shielding insulator for an exhaust member. To the base plate 23, a reinforcing plate 34 is fixed doubling as the whirl stop of the hook plate 22. The reinforcing plate 34 is fitted between the boss parts 36 of the cylinder head 6 and can be held in a stable attitude even when fixed with one bolt 31, while preventing co-rotation. The branch parts 29, 30 are exposed upward of the head cover 7 to enable easy rotating operation of the bolts 32, 70.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hook device used for lifting an engine, and particularly targets a hook device for an automotive engine as a preferred object.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in the case of an automotive engine, the engine is assembled at an engine factory, then transported to a vehicle assembly factory and attached to the vehicle body. And the engine needs to be suspended for assembly at the engine factory, and thus a hook (hanger) for suspension by a crane is used there.

[0003] This hook is necessary on the engine assembly line and the automobile assembly line, and it is generally removed after (or before) being attached to the automobile. However, it has been proposed to fix the hook part with bolts based on a base and leave the base on the engine and only remove the hook part. An example of this is disclosed in Patent Document 1, and in Patent Document 1, the base part (plate part) is used for protecting the fuel pump, supporting the intake pipe, and heat insulation of the exhaust heat.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Now, in the case of a method of fixing a hook to an engine body such as a cylinder head with bolts, a space is required for rotating the bolts with a wrench. However, it may be difficult to secure a space for bolt operation due to the relationship with peripheral members. For example, in the case of a slant engine in which the cylinder bore is greatly tilted horizontally so that the exhaust side faces downward, it may be difficult to secure a space for bolt operation due to the relationship with various members such as exhaust system members and sensor harnesses. Even when the intake side is inclined downward, it is expected that it will be difficult to secure a space for bolt operation due to the relationship with members such as fuel delivery pipes.

[0006] Also, even if the shape and arrangement of the peripheral members are devised to somehow secure a space for bolt operation, in the rotation operation of the bolts using a wrench, there is a concern that the wrench is likely to interfere with the peripheral members, making the work troublesome, or that the peripheral members are likely to be damaged.

[0007] Regarding this point, if the hook device is composed of a base plate fixedly held by the engine body and a hook plate temporarily fixed to this with bolts, a bolt operation space where the bolt fixing portion of the hook plate is separated from the engine body and does not interfere with the peripheral members can be easily secured. Therefore, it can be said that the attachment and detachment of the hook plate can be facilitated.

[0008] Therefore, considering Patent Document 1, it can be said that there is no problem in securing a bolt operation space for removing the hook plate (hook portion) in Patent Document 1. However, since the plate portion is for the purpose of protecting the fuel pump and supporting the intake pipe and is quite large, it can be said that it is less practical for application to an actual machine. Also, since it cannot be applied to a port injection type engine that does not require a fuel pump, its versatility is low.

[0009] Further, in Patent Document 1, the hook portion is fixed to the plate portion (base plate) with one auxiliary bolt. However, since the lower end portion of the hook portion is simply overlapped with the upper end of the plate portion and fixed with a bolt, when fixing the hook portion, a person has to rotate the bolt while holding the hook portion in an upward posture with one hand. Therefore, there is also a problem that the attachment work of the hook plate is troublesome.

[0010] The present invention aims to disclose a technology that improves such a current situation.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0011] The present invention relates to a hook device for an engine, and this hook device "comprises a vertically long base plate fixed and held to the engine body, and a hook plate removably fixed to the base plate with a single auxiliary bolt, and the base plate is provided with a reinforcing portion that abuts against one end surface of the hook plate to prevent the hook plate from rotating with the auxiliary bolt." It has such a configuration.

[0012] The reinforcing portion can be integrally formed by bending or bulging the base plate, or a separate plate material can be fixed by welding or riveting. Also, it is possible to bend a rotation prevention portion on the hook plate.

[0013] The present invention can be embodied in various ways. As an example, in claim 2, "the base plate has a base portion fixed to the engine body with a main bolt, and a plurality of branch portions branched from the base portion when viewed in the axial direction of the engine body, and the hook plate is fixed to one of the plurality of branch portions with the auxiliary bolt." It has such a configuration.

[0014] The base portion and each branch portion may be formed in a flat state as a whole, but for example, it is also possible to bend a branch portion to which the hook plate is not fixed with respect to the base portion. It is also possible to bend each branch portion with respect to the base portion.

Effects of the Invention

[0015] In the invention of the present application, since the base plate is in a vertically longitudinal posture, it can be fixed to a narrow part of the engine body such as a cylinder head while avoiding interference with various members. Therefore, it does not pose an obstacle to the engine design and has excellent practical machine compatibility.

[0016] Further, since the hook plate is prevented from rotating by the reinforcing portion, even when it is fixed by a single auxiliary bolt, it is not necessary for a person to hold the hook plate by hand to maintain the posture, and the auxiliary bolt can be rotated. Therefore, the workability of attaching and detaching the hook plate is excellent. Also, since the base plate is reinforced by the reinforcing portion, even in a vertically longitudinal posture, it is possible to ensure the strength not to be deformed even when the engine is suspended.

[0017] Also, the base plate can be used for attaching other members and locking harnesses. In this case, as in claim 2, when a plurality of branched portions are formed on the base plate, the plurality of branched portions can be shared in role between the attachment of the hook plate and the attachment of other members, which is particularly suitable. Also, since the two branched portions are bifurcated, it is also possible to use the bifurcated portion for locking and preventing the harness from swaying.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] (1). Arrangement Mode · Basic Structure Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is applied to the hook device of a three-cylinder engine for an automobile. As shown in FIG. 9, the engine is disposed in a rear compartment (rear engine room) 2 provided at the rear of the vehicle body 1. Note that a front compartment 3 is formed at the front of the vehicle body, and, for example, a battery, a motor, etc. are disposed in the front compartment 3. Therefore, the automobile to which this embodiment is applied is a hybrid vehicle.

[0020] As described above, the engine is disposed in the rear compartment 2. However, as also shown in FIG. 1, the cylinder bore axis O1 is inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to the vertical line and the horizontal. That is, the engine is horizontally mounted with the crankshaft 4 in a posture long in the vehicle width direction, but is tilted backward with the crankshaft located on the front side of the vehicle body and the cylinder head located on the rear side. Therefore, the engine of the embodiment is a horizontally mounted slant engine with the cylinders falling to the rear side of the vehicle body.

[0021] In the following, the terms "front and rear" and "left and right" are used to specify directions, but these terms are based on the vehicle body (driver). In the engine, the crankshaft axis direction is often defined as the front-rear direction, but the front-rear direction used in this embodiment is different from this general definition. The up-down direction is the vertical line direction. The directions are clearly indicated in the drawings as appropriate.

[0022] The basic structure of the engine is the same as that of the prior art. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, as the engine body, it includes a cylinder block 5 in which a cylinder bore (not shown) is formed, a cylinder head 6 fixed to the top surface of the cylinder block 5, and a head cover 7 fixed to the top surface of the cylinder head 6. Since the cylinder bore axis O1 is largely tilted backward, as shown in FIG. 1, an auxiliary crankcase 8 having a triangular shape in side view is fixed to the lower surface of the cylinder block 5, and as shown in FIG. 2, an oil pan 9 is fixed to the lower surface of the auxiliary crankcase 8.

[0023] In this embodiment, as partially shown in FIG. 2, a chain cover 10 covering the timing chain is fixed to the left end surfaces of the cylinder block 5 and the cylinder head 6. On the other hand, the right end face portion of the cylinder block 5 is a transmission case mounting flange 11. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 12 indicates an oil inlet, reference numeral 13 indicates an oil filter, reference numeral 14 indicates an ignition coil, and reference numeral 15 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an EGR valve. Reference numeral 16 shown in FIG. 1 is a cooling water pipe. Note that one end portion of the crankshaft 4 is exposed outside (left side) of the chain cover 10 in FIG. 2.

[0024] The engine is slanted in a rearward - falling posture, with the downward - inclined surface as the exhaust side surface and the downward - inclined surface as the intake side surface. In FIG. 1, the surge tank 17 that constitutes the intake - side member partially appears. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the component indicated by reference numeral 18 is an air cleaner. The air cleaner 18 has a dirty chamber in its lower half, and an intake - intake duct 19 is connected to its side surface. The upper half is a clean chamber, and an intake - feed duct 20 is connected. The intake - feed duct 20 is connected to the surge tank 17 via a throttle valve (not shown).

[0025] The engine is assembled at the engine factory with the cylinder - bore axis O1 vertical. Since it is to be installed in an inclined posture in the rear compartment 2 of the vehicle body at the automobile assembly factory, it is necessary to lift the engine in a posture with the cylinder - bore axis O vertical at the engine factory.

[0026] Therefore, the first hook indicated by reference numeral 21 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the second hook 22 indicated by the dashed - dotted line in FIG. 1 are used. The first hook 21 is fixed to the left - end portion of the upper end of the chain cover 10 (or the cylinder head 6 or the head cover 7), and the second hook 22 is fixed to a position near the right end on the rear surface (exhaust side surface) of the cylinder head 6 (see FIGS. 1 and 2(B)). These hooks 21 and 22 are necessary for the assembly and transportation of the engine and are removed after the engine is mounted on the vehicle body.

[0027] (2). Hook device The second hook 22 constitutes the hook portion described in the claims. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the hook device 24 is constituted by the second hook 22 and the base plate 23. This will be described next.

[0028] The base plate 23 and the second hook 22 are each made of a metal plate with excellent strength such as a stainless steel plate or a steel plate, and are arranged on the right side of the exhaust side of the cylinder head 6. The base plate 23 is generally in a vertically longitudinal posture, and has a base portion 28 fixed to the exhaust side surface 27 of the cylinder head 6, and first and second left and right branch portions 29, 30 branching from the upper end of the base portion 28.

[0029] The base portion 28 is formed flat as a whole. The lower half is a narrow portion 28a, and its lower end is fixed to the cylinder head 6 by the main bolt 31. The base portion 28 protrudes above the head cover 7 (diagonally rearward with reference to the vehicle body). Therefore, the left and right branch portions 29, 30 are also exposed above the head cover 7 (diagonally upward).

[0030] The first branch portion 29 located on the left side is formed such that its entire part forms the same flat surface as the base portion 28, and the second hook 22 is fixed to its front surface by the auxiliary bolt 32. The auxiliary bolt 32 is inserted through the second hook 22 from the front, and a nut 33 into which the auxiliary bolt 32 is screwed is welded to the first branch portion 29. The auxiliary bolt 32 (and the nut 33) is located above the head cover 7. Therefore, the auxiliary bolt 32 can be unscrewed using a wrench from the space above the head cover 7.

[0031] The second hook 22 is basically in a vertically longitudinal strip shape. The upper part is a hook portion, while the lower end is a wide portion 22a, and the lower end reaches the base portion 28. Then, on the wide surface of the base portion 28 facing the side of the head cover 7 (the upward surface when mounted on the vehicle body and the lateral side surface when lifted), as an example of the reinforcing portion described in the claims, a rectangular reinforcing plate 34 is fixed by welding in a vertically longitudinal manner, and a notch 35 that fits with the upper left corner portion 34a of the reinforcing plate 34 is formed in the wide portion 22a of the second hook 22. Therefore, the second hook 22 and the base portion 28 are accurately positioned, and when the auxiliary bolt 32 is screwed in and out with a wrench, the second hook 22 will not rotate even if not held by hand.

[0032] As partially shown in FIG. 5(B), a boss portion 36 is provided protruding on the outer periphery of the cylinder head 6 for fixing the head cover 7 or the like. As shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(C), the head cover 7 is fixed to the boss portion 36 with bolts 37. In this embodiment, by fitting a reinforcing plate 34 between two boss portions 36 located at the right end portion of the cylinder head 6, the posture of the base portion 28 is maintained. Therefore, even if the base portion 28 is fixed by a single main bolt 31, it is held in a stable posture. There is no need for a person to continuously hold the hook device 24 by hand during the fixing operation.

[0033] (3). Support of the insulator by the second branch portion For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the second branch portion 30 located on the right side is inclined from its middle height portion to the side opposite to the cylinder head 6. That is, the second branch portion 30 is in a bent form in side view. And the second branch portion 30 is used for attaching a heat insulation device. This point will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 as well.

[0034] The exhaust side surface of the engine is inclined backward and downward, but a manifold 39 shown alone in FIGS. 3(A) and 4(A) is fixed to the exhaust side surface 27 of the cylinder head 6. The manifold 39 has a cylindrical catalyst case 40 containing a catalyst, an elbow-shaped joint 41 integrally provided at the inlet side end portion 40a of the catalyst case 40, and an L-shaped outlet pipe 42 integrally provided at the outlet side end portion of the catalyst case 40.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3(A), the joint 41 is connected to the lower end portion of the inlet side end portion 40a in the catalyst case 40, and a flange 43 provided at its opening edge is fixed to a land portion 27a (see FIG. 4(B)) formed on the exhaust side surface 27 of the cylinder head 6 by a group of stud bolts 44 and nuts 45.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the manifolder 39, the outlet pipe 42 is in an L-shaped form having a horizontal lateral portion welded to the catalyst case 40 and a downward portion bent at its rear end. At the lower end of the downward portion, a flange 46 for connecting an exhaust pipe (not shown) is fixed by welding. Also, at the end of the downward portion near the outlet, the starting end of the EGR pipe 47 is connected. The terminal end of the EGR pipe 47 extends to the exhaust side surface 27 of the cylinder head 6, and as shown in FIG. 7(B), the flange 48 fixed to the terminal end is fixed to the cylinder head 6 with stud bolts 49 and nuts 50.

[0037] At the inlet side end portion 40a of the catalyst case 40, a front sensor mounting seat 51 for mounting an O2 sensor or an A / F sensor projects, and a front sensor plug 52 is connected thereto. On the other hand, in the lateral portion of the outlet pipe 42, a rear sensor mounting seat 53 for measuring the exhaust gas temperature is provided, and a rear sensor plug 54 provided with a temperature sensor is connected to the rear sensor mounting seat 53.

[0038] The catalyst case 40 and the joint 41 are surrounded from above and below by a first main insulator 55 and a second main insulator 56, for example, as shown in FIGS. 7(B) and 8. The first main insulator 55 generally covers the upper half of the catalyst case 40. With a semi-circular body portion as the main body, an inlet side end plate 55a that covers the inlet side end portion 40a of the catalyst case 40 is integrally bent and formed thereon. An L-shaped front notch 57 for passing the front sensor mounting seat 51 is formed in the inlet side end plate 55a.

[0039] The second main insulator 56 has a semi-cylindrical body portion that surrounds the lower half of the catalyst case 40 as its main body, and a shell-shaped extension portion 56a that surrounds the joint 41 from the lower rear is integrally connected to this main body portion. The second main insulator 56 is fixed to the catalyst case 40 and the joint 41 with bolts 58 at three positions on the left and right. That is, first to third brackets 59, 60, and 61 are provided at the upper right end of the joint 41, the rear surface of the middle part on the left and right of the joint 41, and the rear surface of the middle part on the left and right of the catalyst case 40, and are fixed to these with bolts 58.

[0040] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the second main insulator 56 is formed with a tongue-shaped first fixing portion 62 corresponding to the first bracket 59, a square raised second fixing portion 63 corresponding to the second bracket 60, and a horizontally long square raised third fixing portion 64 corresponding to the third bracket 61.

[0041] On the other hand, the first main insulator 55 has a boss-shaped fourth fixing portion (not shown) bulging rearward at the lower end portion close to the entrance side end plate 55a, a boss-shaped fifth fixing portion 66 bulging upward at approximately the upper part of the middle portion on the left and right, and a eaves-shaped sixth fixing portion 67 bulging at the lower end portion of the front part. Although not shown in the figure, the fourth fixing portion is fixed to a fourth bracket fixed to the exhaust side surface 27 of the cylinder head 6 with bolts.

[0042] The fifth fixing portion 66 of the first main insulator 55 is clamped and fixed with a bolt 70 (see FIG. 8) between the second branch portion 30 of the second hook 22 shown in FIG. 8 and the fifth bracket 69 shown in FIG. 7(A). The fifth bracket 69 is fixed to the upper surface of the catalyst case 40 by welding, and a nut is fixed to its inner surface. The sixth fixing portion 67 of the first main insulator 55 overlaps the third bracket 61 provided on the catalyst case 40 from the rear. The third fixing portion 64 of the second main insulator 56 overlaps the sixth fixing portion 67, and the sixth fixing portion 67 and the third fixing portion 64 are jointly tightened to the third bracket 61 with a bolt 58.

[0043] As shown by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 2, a cooling fan 71 is disposed to the left side of the manivator 39, generally concentric with the axis of the catalyst case 40. The cooling fan 71 is arranged such that the center of the cooling air faces the front notch 57 of the first main insulator 55. In Fig. 2, the upper part of the cooling fan 71 and the lower part of the air cleaner 18 partially overlap. However, since the shape of the air cleaner 18 has a high degree of freedom, the lower surface may be recessed so as not to interfere with the cooling fan 71.

[0044] The outlet pipe 42 constituting the manivator 39 is surrounded by a first sub-insulator 73 disposed on the outer corner side and a second sub-insulator 74 disposed on the inner corner side. Therefore, both sub-insulators 73 and 74 are formed in an L shape having a horizontal portion and a downward portion. As described above, a rear sensor mounting seat 53 projects from the horizontal portion of the outlet pipe 42. However, an escape hole (not shown) for avoiding interference with the rear sensor mounting seat 53 opens upward in the horizontal portion of the first sub-insulator 73.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 7(A), a rearward sixth bracket 75 and a downward seventh bracket 76 are integrally and continuously formed on the horizontal portion of the outlet pipe 42. On the other hand, an eighth bracket 77 protruding rightward (outward) and a ninth bracket 78 protruding leftward (inward) are formed on the downward portion of the outlet pipe 42.

[0046] For example, as clearly shown in Fig. 8, a rearward seventh fixing portion 79 is formed on the horizontal portion of the first sub-insulator 73, and this is fixed to the eighth bracket 77 with a bolt 80. A rightward eighth fixing portion 81 is formed on the downward portion of the first sub-insulator 73, and this is fixed to the ninth bracket 78 with a bolt 80.

[0047] Also, for example, as shown in FIGS. 7(B) and 8(B), a downward-facing ninth fixing portion 82 is formed on the lateral portion of the second sub-insulator 74, and this ninth fixing portion 82 is fixed to the seventh bracket 76 of the outlet pipe 42 with bolts 83. On the downward-facing portion of the second sub-insulator 74, a tenth fixing portion 84 protruding leftward is formed, and this tenth fixing portion 84 is fixed to the ninth bracket 78 with bolts 83.

[0048] (4). Summary The engine assembly in the engine factory is performed with the cylinder bore axis O1 vertical. Therefore, in the engine factory, two hooks 21 and 22 are fixed to the engine. As exemplified by presenting the second hook 22 in FIG. 4, it is lifted by a mobile hanger 85 and moved on the line (or between lines). Since the hooks 21 and 22 are only used for the movement of the engine, they are removed when mounted on the vehicle body.

[0049] Then, the second hook 22 is removed after setting the engine in a predetermined posture. In this embodiment, the base plate 23 remains fixed to the cylinder head 6, and since the second hook 22 is fixed to the first branch portion 29 exposed obliquely above the head cover 7 on the base plate 23, the removal of the second hook 22 can be easily performed by operating a wrench from the upper space of the head cover 7.

[0050] Also, in the hook device 24, the second hook 22 is pre-fixed to the first branch portion 29 of the base plate 23 and is fixed to the cylinder head 6 with a single main bolt 31 before the attachment of the manipulator 39. As already described, since the reinforcing plate 34 is sandwiched by the boss portion 36 of the cylinder head 6, it can be easily held in a stable posture without much effort.

[0051] Also, in this embodiment, two branch portions 29 and 30 are formed on the base plate 23, and the second branch portion 30 is used for fixing the first main insulator 55. Since the hook device 24 also serves as a fixing member for the first main insulator 55, cost can be reduced and space can be effectively utilized.

[0052] In the engine, a plurality of harnesses are bundled and held by a hook on the engine body. However, it is also possible to attach a harness holding hook using the nut 33 of the first branch portion 29 after removing the second hook 22. The first branch portion 29 can also be used to hold the intake pipe and the cooling water pipe. Further, as shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 5(C), it is also possible to fit the harnesses 86 into the crotch portion formed by the first branch portion 29 and the second branch portion 30 to prevent movement.

[0053] The base plate 23 remains fixed to the cylinder head 6. However, since the base plate 23 has a vertically long shape, it does not interfere with the attachment of other members. Therefore, the freedom of engine design is not impaired.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6(A), as a means for preventing the second hook 22 from rotating and for reinforcement, it is also possible to bend and form a side rib 87 on the first branch portion 29. Also, for the base plate 23, as a means for preventing rotation when fixing it to the cylinder head 6 with one main bolt 31, it is also possible to bend and form a rib 88 on the narrow portion 28a of the base plate 23. Further, as a means for preventing the base plate 23 from rotating, the narrow portion 28a may be fitted between the boss portions 36. When the narrow portion 28a is fitted between the boss portions 36, the reinforcing plate 34 may be fixed to the lower surface of the first branch portion 29.

[0055] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention can be embodied in various other ways. For example, it is also possible to provide three or more branch portions. The shape and orientation of the second branch portion can be changed according to its function. For example, the second branch portion can be bent toward the head cover side and used for clamping a member such as an intake pipe. It is also possible to arrange the hook device on the intake side and use the branch portion for attaching a delivery pipe or an intake manifold.

[0056] The engine can also be arranged in a front compartment provided in the front part of the vehicle body. It can be applied to a slant-type engine such as the engine of a cab-over type vehicle, and can also be applied to a vertical engine.

Industrial Applicability

[0057] The invention of the present application can be embodied in a hook device for an engine. Therefore, it can be industrially utilized.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0058] 1 Vehicle body 2 Rear compartment 4 Crankshaft 5 Cylinder block 6 Cylinder head 7 Head cover 21 First hook 22 Second hook (hook plate in the claims) 23 Base plate 24 Hook device 27 Exhaust side 28 Base of the base plate 29 First branch portion 30 Second branch portion 31 Main bolt 32 Auxiliary bolt 34 Reinforcing plate as an example of a reinforcing portion 36 Boss portion of the cylinder head 39 Manifold 40 Catalyst case 55, 56 Main insulator 73, 74 Sub-insulator

Claims

1. It includes a vertically long base plate fixedly held to the engine body, and a hook plate removably fixed to the base plate with a single auxiliary bolt. The base plate is provided with a reinforcing portion that abuts against one end surface of the hook plate to prevent the hook plate from rotating with the auxiliary bolt. An engine hook device.

2. The base plate has a base portion fixed to the engine body with a main bolt, and a plurality of branch portions branching from the base portion as viewed in the axial direction of the engine body. The hook plate is fixed to one of the plurality of branch portions with the auxiliary bolt. The engine hook device according to Claim 1.

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