Breather device and engine

Abstract

To provide a breather device and an engine capable of effectively separating an oil component and a gas component from blow-by gas even in a small size.SOLUTION: The breather device 20 includes a body case 21 having an internal space 210 for accommodating blow-by gas containing a gas component and an oil component and having an introduction port 211 for the blow-by gas and a discharge port 212 for discharging the oil component after separation from the internal space 210 to the outside, an inclined surface 22 provided inside the body case 21 and inclined downward from the introduction port 211 toward the discharge port 212, and a delivery channel portion 23 provided on a side opposite to the discharge port 212 in the body case 21 and delivering the gas component after separation from the internal space 210 to the outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a breather device that separates oil components and gas components from blow-by gas, and to an engine equipped with the breather device. [Background technology]

[0002] The breather device attached to the engine separates the oil and gas components from the blow-by gas, then returns the gas components to the combustion chamber via passages and the intake system, where they are burned in the combustion chamber to make them harmless before being released into the atmosphere.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a blow-by gas recirculation device that improves gas-liquid separation performance without increasing the size of an oil separator. This blow-by gas recirculation device includes an intake manifold attached to one side of an engine and configured to introduce intake air into a combustion chamber, an oil separator provided on a side surface of a cylinder block on one side of the engine and configured to separate gas and liquid in blow-by gas, a communication part configured to communicate a blow-by gas outlet of the oil separator with the intake manifold, and a PCV valve configured to adjust the flow rate of the blow-by gas introduced into the intake manifold through the communication part, the PCV valve is attached to the intake manifold, the communication part is connected to the PCV valve, and the attachment position of the PCV valve relative to the intake manifold is located above the blow-by gas outlet of the oil separator when the engine is installed in a vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-101591 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Blow-by gas is gas that flows into the crankcase through the gap between the piston and cylinder of the engine and contains unburned and burned gas components and oil components (for example, oil mist). It is desirable for the breather device to separate the oil and gas components of the blow-by gas as much as possible along the path that sends the blow-by gas from the crankcase to the head cover, but trying to improve separation performance results in an increase in the size of the breather device.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a breather device and an engine that can effectively separate oil components and gas components from blow-by gas even when they are small in size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a breather device comprising: a main body case having an internal space for accommodating blow-by gas containing gas components and oil components, the main body case having an inlet for the blow-by gas and an outlet for discharging the separated oil components from the internal space to the outside; a sloped surface provided inside the main body case that slopes downward from the inlet side toward the outlet side; and a delivery flow path portion provided on the opposite side of the main body case from the outlet, for sending the separated gas components from the internal space to the outside.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is an engine having a recirculation path that processes blow-by gas and returns it from the crankcase to the intake manifold, the recirculation path being provided with the above-mentioned breather device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a breather device and an engine that can effectively separate oil components and gas components from blow-by gas even if they are small in size. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating an engine equipped with a breather device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an engine equipped with a breather device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a breather device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a breather device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a cover body is removed from the blade device according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an engine to which a breather device according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are preferred examples of the present invention, and therefore various technically preferable limitations are applied thereto, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these aspects unless otherwise specified in the following description to the effect that the present invention is particularly limited. Furthermore, in each drawing, similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] (engine) FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an engine equipped with a breather device according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an engine equipped with the breather device according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the crankshaft direction of the engine 1 is referred to as the X direction (front-rear direction), the left-right direction of the engine 1 (one of the directions perpendicular to the crankshaft) is referred to as the Y direction (left-right direction), and the height direction of the engine 1 (direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions) is referred to as the Z direction (up-down direction). Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the engine 1 as seen from diagonally above the front right, and Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the YZ plane at the position of the breather device 20 in the fore-and-aft direction of the engine 1. In Fig. 2, the cross-sectional portion is shown painted black.

[0013] 1 and 2 is an internal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine, and is mounted on industrial machinery such as vehicles, construction machinery, and agricultural machinery. The engine 1 includes a cylinder head 2, a head cover 3, a cylinder block 4, a crankcase 5, an intake manifold 6, an exhaust manifold 7, a fuel injection device 8, and a blow-by gas treatment device 10. The blow-by gas treatment device 10 includes a breather device 20.

[0014] The cylinder head 2 of the engine 1 is, for example, the cylinder head of a multi-cylinder engine having multiple cylinders. A head cover 3 is mounted on top of the cylinder head 2. The internal space of the head cover 3 is closed. A cylinder block 4 is provided between the cylinder head 2 and a crankcase 5 and includes a cylinder 40 in which a piston 41 reciprocates.

[0015] The intake manifold 6 is an example of an intake distribution means that distributes intake air to each cylinder of the engine 1. The exhaust manifold 7 is an example of an exhaust collection means that collects exhaust from each cylinder of the engine 1. The blow-by gas treatment device 10 separates oil components and gas components from the blow-by gas that has flowed into the crankcase 5 of the engine 1 and returns the separated components to the intake manifold 6.

[0016] The breather device 20 is provided in the passageway of blow-by gas in the blow-by gas treatment device 10. The blow-by gas that has flowed into the crankcase 5 is sent from the crankcase 5 to the breather device 20, where it is separated into an oil component and a gas component. The breather device 20 returns the oil component separated from the blow-by gas to the crankcase 5 and sends the gas component to the intake manifold 6.

[0017] (Breather device) FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the breather device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the breather device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the breather device 20 according to this embodiment includes a main body case 21, an inclined surface 22, and a delivery flow path portion .

[0018] The main body case 21 has an internal space 210 that accommodates blow-by gas. The main body case 21 also has an inlet 211 for blow-by gas and an outlet 212 that discharges the separated oil components from the internal space 210 to the outside. The opening area of ​​the inlet 211 is preferably larger than the opening area of ​​the outlet 212. This makes it easier to take in the blow-by gas from the inlet 211 before separation.

[0019] For example, the main body case 21 is provided in a box-like shape having an opening 21h, and a portion of the opening 21h is closed by the lid 24. Because the area of ​​the lid 24 is smaller than the area of ​​the opening 21h, by opening and attaching one end and the other end of the lid 24, an inlet 211 is formed in the gap between the opening 21h and one end of the lid 24, and an outlet 212 is formed in the gap between the opening 21h and the other end of the lid 24. The sizes of the inlet 211 and the outlet 212 can be adjusted by adjusting the area of ​​the lid 24 and the attachment position relative to the opening 21h. Note that, although the main body case 21 and the lid 24 are separate bodies in this embodiment, the main body case 21 and the lid 24 may be integrated.

[0020] The inclined surface 22 is provided inside the main body case 21, and is provided so as to slope downward from the side of the inlet 211 toward the side of the outlet 212. For example, the inclined surface 22 is provided so as to slope from a position facing the inlet 211 inside the main body case 21 toward the outlet 212. As a result, the outlet 212 is provided below the inclined surface 22. In this embodiment, a part of the exterior of the main body case 21 is the inclined plate 21a, and the inclined surface 22 is configured on a surface included in the inclined plate 21a (the surface of the inclined plate 21a facing the internal space 210).

[0021] The inclined surface 22 may not be part of the exterior of the main body case 21, but may be disposed as a separate member within the internal space 210. The inclined surface 22 may slope downward from front to rear, or from rear to front. The inclination direction of the inclined surface 22 is not limited to the X direction (front-rear direction) and may also be the Y direction (left-right direction). The opening of the inlet 211 and the opening of the outlet 212 may be oriented in the same direction or different directions. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, both the inlet 211 and the outlet 212 are provided so as to face rearward, but the opening of the inlet 211 may be oriented so as to face rearward, and the opening of the outlet 212 may be oriented so as to face forward.

[0022] The delivery flow path section 23 is provided on the opposite side of the main body case 21 from the outlet 212, and is a flow path that delivers the separated gas components from the internal space 210 to the outside. In this embodiment, the delivery flow path section 23 is provided in a cylindrical shape that extends upward from the upper side of the main body case 21.

[0023] As a preferred example, the main body case 21 is formed in a right-angled trapezoidal shape in the cross-sectional view of Fig. 4, with its long and short sides parallel to each other and arranged in the vertical direction. An opening 21h of the main body case 21 is provided on the long side, and an inclined plate 21a is provided at a position corresponding to the oblique side between the short and long sides. An output flow path section 23 is provided at a position near the short side of the main body case 21, corresponding to the short side and a side perpendicular to the long side.

[0024] A flow rate adjustment valve (PCV valve) 26 is attached to the delivery flow path section 23 extending upward from the main body case 21. The flow rate adjustment valve 26 is attached so as to extend forward from the delivery flow path section 23. The delivery flow path section 23 is disposed closer to one side in the front-to-rear direction (for example, the front side) of the upper part of the main body case 21. Therefore, by providing the flow rate adjustment valve 26 so as to extend to the other side in the front-to-rear direction (for example, the rear side), the empty space above the main body case 21 can be effectively utilized.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the cover of the blade device according to the present embodiment is removed. The main body case 21 has extension portions 25 extending from the opening 21h toward the inside of the main body case 21. The extension portions 25 are provided in multiple locations. As an example, in this embodiment, three extension portions 25 are provided. When viewed from the front of the opening 21h, the arrangement of the multiple extension portions 25 is different from each other in the vertical and horizontal directions. In other words, adjacent extension portions 25 are arranged so as not to overlap each other in the vertical and horizontal directions. For example, of the three extension portions 25, the second extension portion 25 is arranged diagonally to the lower right of the first extension portion 25 from the top, and the third extension portion 25 is arranged diagonally to the lower left of the second extension portion 25. The lid 24 is fixed to the end of the extension portion 25 on the opening 21h side by, for example, crimping.

[0026] When adjacent extension portions 25 are arranged horizontally or vertically in the internal space 210 of the main body case 21, the passage (flow path) between them becomes narrow. However, by arranging them diagonally as described above, the passage (flow path) does not become narrow, and the path from the inlet 211 to the outlet 212 becomes non-linear (S-shaped), so that the internal space 210 can have a labyrinth structure.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of an engine to which the breather device according to this embodiment is attached. 6 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the XZ plane at the position of the breather device 20 in the left-right direction of the engine 1. In FIG. 6, the cross-sectional portion is shown painted black. A brazer chamber 30, which forms a space for introducing blow-by gas, is provided diagonally above and toward one side in the front-to-rear direction of the crankcase 5 (for example, toward the front). The brazer chamber 30 is in communication with the crankcase 5 via a port 51 provided in the crankcase 5. The brazer device 20 according to this embodiment is inserted into the brazer chamber 30. For example, an opening is provided in the top of the brazer chamber 30, and the brazer device 20 is inserted into the interior of the brazer chamber 30 through this opening. With the opening of the brazer chamber 30 covered by a flange portion 21b (see FIG. 3) provided on the brazer device 20, the brazer device 20 is fastened to the brazer chamber 30 by passing and fastening a mounting bolt 21d (see FIG. 1) through a mounting hole 21c (see FIG. 3) provided in the flange portion 21b.

[0028] The port 51 of the crankcase 5 is disposed below the breather chamber 30 and toward the front or rear (for example, toward the front). The inlet 211 of the breather device 20 is preferably provided distally from the port 51 of the crankcase 5 within the breather chamber 30. The opening of the port 51 preferably faces in a direction different from the direction of the inlet 211 of the breather device 20 attached to the breather chamber 30. For example, when the breather device 20 is attached to the breather chamber 30, the inlet 211 of the breather device 20 faces rearward. On the other hand, the opening of the port 51 faces in the left-right direction (for example, to the right).

[0029] 2, it is preferable that the breather device 20 is attached to the breather chamber 30 at a slight incline relative to the vertical direction. This makes it easier for oil components separated from the blow-by gas, which will be described later, to collect in the corners of the discharge port 212, allowing the oil components to be discharged from the discharge port 212 more effectively.

[0030] (blow-by gas flow) Next, the flow of blow-by gas will be described. Blow-by gas that has flowed into the crankcase 5 of the engine 1 is sent from the port 51 to the breather chamber 30 when the piston 41 is pushed down, creating a positive pressure inside the crankcase 5. The blow-by gas sent from the port 51 to the breather chamber 30 spreads within the breather chamber 30 and flows into the internal space 210 of the main body case 21 from the inlet 211 of the breather device 20 provided in the breather chamber 30.

[0031] Of the blow-by gas that has flowed into the internal space 210 of the main body case 21, oil components with a high specific gravity are dropped downward along the inclined surface 22, while gas components with a low specific gravity proceed to the delivery flow path portion 23 above the main body case 21. The gas components that have proceeded to the delivery flow path portion 23 are sent to the intake manifold 6 from the return pipe 50 via the flow rate adjustment valve 26.

[0032] In this flow of blow-by gas, the opening of the port 51 faces in a direction different from the direction of the inlet 211 of the breather device 20, so that the blow-by gas remains in the breather chamber 30 for a longer time. That is, the blow-by gas is introduced from the port 51 to the right into the breather chamber 30, hits the inner wall, and spreads within the breather chamber 30. Then, it spreads upward while hitting the rear inner wall of the breather chamber 30, and enters the internal space 210 of the main body case 21 through the inlet 211 provided above the breather device 20. The blow-by gas that has entered the internal space 210 travels from rear to front within the internal space 210 and hits the inner wall. In the internal space 210, oil components with a high specific gravity tend to fall downward along the inclined surface 22, while gas components with a low specific gravity tend to advance upward to the delivery passage 23. This effectively separates the oil components from the gas components.

[0033] The oil components that fall downward along the inclined surface 22 are discharged from a discharge port 212 provided at the bottom of the main body case 21 and returned to the crankcase 5 via a port 51 in the breather chamber 30. To make it easier to collect the oil components as they fall along the inclined surface 22, the inclined surface 22 may be provided with grooves or protrusions extending in the vertical direction.

[0034] The breather device 20 according to this embodiment introduces blow-by gas into the internal space 210 from an upper inlet 211, even with a small main body case 21, and uses the inclined surface 22 to discharge the separated oil component from a lower outlet 212. The breather device 20 is incorporated into the breather chamber 30 provided in the space diagonally above the crankcase 5. Blow-by gas is introduced from below the breather chamber 30, diffused above the breather chamber 30, and introduced into the internal space 210 of the main body case 21 from an inlet 211 provided above the breather device 20. This allows the blow-by gas to circulate over a longer distance, allowing the oil component and gas component to be separated from the blow-by gas. Furthermore, because the oil component can be effectively separated from the blow-by gas, the intrusion of the oil component into the flow control valve 26 is suppressed.

[0035] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a breather device 20 and an engine 1 that can effectively separate oil components and gas components from blow-by gas even though they are small in size.

[0036] The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, the configurations of the above embodiments can be partially omitted or arbitrarily combined in a different manner from the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1...engine, 2...cylinder head, 3...head cover, 4...cylinder block, 5...crankcase, 6...intake manifold, 7...exhaust manifold, 8...fuel injection device, 10...blow-by gas treatment device, 20...blather device, 21...main body case, 21a...inclined plate, 21b...flange portion, 21c...mounting hole, 21d...mounting bolt, 21h...opening, 22...inclined surface, 23...delivery flow passage portion, 24...lid body, 25...extension portion, 26...flow rate adjustment valve, 30...blather chamber, 40...cylinder, 41...piston, 51...port, 210...internal space, 211...inlet port, 212...exhaust port

Claims

1. a main body case having an internal space for accommodating blow-by gas containing gas and oil components, the main body case having an inlet for the blow-by gas and an outlet for discharging the separated oil components from the internal space to the outside; a sloped surface provided inside the main body case and extending downward from the inlet side toward the outlet side; a delivery flow path section provided on the opposite side of the main body case from the outlet, for delivering the separated gas components from the internal space to the outside; A breather device comprising:

2. The breather device according to claim 1 , wherein the inclined surface is inclined from a position facing the inlet port inside the main body case toward the outlet port.

3. The breather device according to claim 1 , wherein an opening area of ​​the inlet is larger than an opening area of ​​the outlet.

4. The breather device according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the exterior of the main body case is an inclined plate including the inclined surface.

5. The main body case is provided in a box having an opening, a cover that closes a part of the opening is attached to the main body case; The inlet is formed in a gap between the opening and one end of the lid, The breather device according to claim 1 , wherein the exhaust port is formed in a gap between the opening and the other end of the lid.

6. the main body case has an extension portion that extends from the opening side toward the inside of the main body case, The breather device according to claim 5 , wherein the cover is fixed to an end of the extension on the opening side.

7. A plurality of the extension portions are provided, 7. The breather device according to claim 6, wherein the arrangement of the plurality of extensions when viewed from the front of the opening is different from each other in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

8. the delivery channel portion extends upward from the main body case, The breather device according to claim 1 , further comprising a flow rate adjusting valve connected to the delivery channel portion and extending forward.

9. An engine equipped with a return path that processes and returns blow-by gas from a crankcase to an intake manifold, An engine, wherein the breather device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is provided in the return path.

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