Internal combustion engine

Abstract

To provide an internal combustion engine for suppressing the damage of an auxiliary machine when a vehicle is offset-collided.SOLUTION: The internal combustion engine includes an internal combustion engine main body and a bracket fixed to a side surface of the internal combustion engine main body, the internal combustion engine main body is disposed so as to be inclined such that a rear end is located below a front end, has a front surface extending in an up-down direction and having an upper end located behind a lower end, the bracket has a first contact surface that comes into contact with the front surface when the vehicle collides, and a width of a lower end of the first contact surface is wider than a width of an upper end of the first contact surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a pulley bracket that is fixed to the cylinder block of an internal combustion engine and rotatably holds a pulley has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The pulley rotates by power transmitted from the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine. For example, in a vehicle with a longitudinally mounted internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine extends in the front-to-rear direction, such a pulley bracket is disposed so that the pulley is located at the front end of the internal combustion engine. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-266381 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In many cases, engine accessories such as a fuel pump and an alternator are attached to the side of the engine body in the vehicle width direction.

[0005] In a frontal collision, the impact load of the impacting object is borne by the engine body, which has a relatively high strength, thereby minimizing damage to the accessories located on the side. However, if an offset collision occurs from the front of the vehicle and the impacting object moves rearward near the side of the engine body, the impacting object may not hit the engine body but may hit the accessories located on the side, damaging them. There is a strong demand for preventing damage to fuel-related accessories, such as fuel pumps, even in such an offset collision.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an internal combustion engine that suppresses damage to accessories when a vehicle is involved in an offset collision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The internal combustion engine of the present disclosure is an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle, and comprises an internal combustion engine body and a bracket fixed to a side of the internal combustion engine body, the internal combustion engine body being positioned at an angle so that its rear end is lower on the vehicle than its front end, and having a front surface that extends in the vertical direction and whose upper end is located rearward of its lower end, the bracket having a first abutment surface that abuts against the front surface when the vehicle collides, the first abutment surface having a width at its lower end that is wider than the width at its upper end. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this internal combustion engine, when a vehicle experiences an offset collision, an object strikes the bracket fixed to the side of the internal combustion engine body. At this time, the lower end of the first contact surface of the bracket first contacts the front surface. Because the lower end of the first contact surface of this bracket is wider than the upper end, the bracket contacts the front surface without tilting in the vehicle width direction. The contact position between the bracket and the front surface then moves toward the upper end. As a result, the bracket stably contacts the front surface. This allows the bracket to efficiently transfer the load acting on the bracket to the internal combustion engine body. As a result, the internal combustion engine can be moved backward by the load acting on the bracket. Furthermore, because the lower end of the first contact surface is wider than the upper end, the width of the first contact surface narrows toward the upper side. Therefore, the first contact surface can efficiently transfer the load to the internal combustion engine body using a small space. Furthermore, because the load is transferred from the bracket to the internal combustion engine body, the bracket can prevent the load from being transferred to equipment located behind the bracket. As a result, the bracket can protect the equipment located behind the bracket. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] 1 is a front view showing an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a bracket according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a bracket according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of a bracket according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the case showing the positional relationship between the first contact surface, the second contact surface, and the case according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a top cross-sectional view of a second mounting portion showing a knock bushing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the front side of the vehicle is designated as FS, the rear side as BS, the right side as RS, the left side as LS, the upper side as US, and the lower side as DS. In this embodiment, the left and right sides correspond to the left and right sides when an occupant in the vehicle is facing forward in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0011] 1, the internal combustion engine 1 is mounted in an engine compartment located at the front of a vehicle C. The internal combustion engine 1 includes an internal combustion engine body 2, a bracket 4, a pulley device 6, a protective component 8, an alternator 10, and an idle pulley bracket 12.

[0012] In the internal combustion engine 1 of this embodiment, the crankshaft 14 extends in the front-rear direction. The rear end of the crankshaft 14 is positioned lower than the front end. The crankshaft 14 extends to the front end of a case 22, which will be described later. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a crank pulley 14a is fixed to the front end of the crankshaft 14.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the internal combustion engine body 2 houses a crankshaft 14. The internal combustion engine body 2 is disposed at an incline so that its rear end is located lower on the vehicle than its front end. The internal combustion engine body 2 has a front face 2a. The front face 2a extends in the vertical direction, with its upper end located rearward of its lower end. In other words, the internal combustion engine body 2 is disposed at an incline so that its rear end is diagonally downward in accordance with the inclination of the crankshaft 14.

[0014] The internal combustion engine body 2 of this embodiment has a cylinder block 21 and a case 22. The cylinder block 21 rotatably holds the crankshaft 14. The case 22 has a flange 22a (see FIG. 6) on its periphery. The case 22 is fixed to a cylinder block front surface 21a via the flange 22a. Therefore, the above-mentioned front surface 21a is the front surface of the case 22. A space S is provided between the cylinder block 21 and the case 22. A timing chain or a timing belt that transmits power from the crankshaft 14 to a cam (not shown) is housed in the space S.

[0015] The bracket 4 is fixed to a side surface of the internal combustion engine body 2. In this embodiment, the bracket 4 is fixed to a cylinder block side surface 21b extending in the front-rear direction of the cylinder block 21. The bracket 4 is fixed to the side surface of the internal combustion engine body 2 so as to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction beyond the cylinder block side surface 21b. The bracket 4 is formed, for example, by aluminum die casting. Details of the bracket 4 will be described later.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pulley device 6 is a device that holds a pulley 6a that rotates by power transmitted from a crankshaft 14. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the pulley device 6 is a tensioner device that applies tension to a fan belt 23 that is wound around a crank pulley 14a, an alternator pulley 10a (described later), and an idler pulley 12a (described later). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pulley device 6 has a pulley 6a, a pulley holding portion 6b, and a housing 6c. A spring is fixed inside the housing 6c. The spring holds the pulley holding portion 6b while applying tension to it. The pulley holding portion 6b rotatably holds the pulley 6a.

[0017] The protective component 8 is a component protected by the bracket 4. The protective component 8 is fixed to the side of the internal combustion engine body 2 rearward of the bracket 4, at a height where at least a portion of the protective component 8 overlaps with the bracket 4 in the front-to-rear direction. More preferably, the protective component 8 is disposed at a height where it overlaps with a second abutment surface 42, which will be described later, in the front-to-rear direction. In an offset collision, a colliding object hits the bracket 4 before the protective component 8. This protects the protective component 8 by the bracket 4. In this embodiment, the protective component 8 is a fuel pressure pump driven by power transmitted from the crankshaft 14. The fuel pressure pump is disposed at a height where at least a portion of the fuel pressure pump overlaps with the bracket 4 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0018] The alternator 10 is a device that rotates and generates electricity using power transmitted from the crankshaft 14. The alternator 10 has an alternator pulley 10a. A fan belt 23 is wound around the alternator pulley 10a, and the power of the crankshaft 14 is transmitted to the alternator pulley 10a.

[0019] The idler pulley bracket 12 holds an idler pulley 12a. The idler pulley 12a is rotated by power transmitted from a crankshaft 14.

[0020] Next, the structure of the bracket 4 will be explained in more detail.

[0021] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the bracket 4 has a first abutment surface 41, a second abutment surface 42, a step portion 43, a plurality of first mounting portions 44, a plurality of second mounting portions 45, and a third mounting portion 46.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 6, the first contact surface 41 is a surface that comes into contact with the front surface 2a when the vehicle C collides. The first contact surface 41 comes into contact with a portion of the case 22 where the space S is located, i.e., a portion of the front surface of the case 22 that is spaced forward from the cylinder block front surface 21a. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the first contact surface 41 is a surface that is provided at the lower end of the bracket 4 and at the end of the bracket 4 on the internal combustion engine body 2 side in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and extends in the up-down direction. The width of the first contact surface 41 is wider at the lower end than at the upper end. In this embodiment, the first contact surface 41 is a substantially triangular plane whose lower end extends in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) along the lower end of the bracket 4 and whose upper end is the vertex. In this embodiment, the first contact surface 41 is a substantially right-angled triangle whose side opposite the internal combustion engine body 2 in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) is inclined.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 , the second abutment surface 42 is disposed at a position different from that of the first abutment surface 41. Specifically, the second abutment surface 42 is provided at the lower part of the bracket 4 and at the center in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and is a surface extending in the up-down direction. That is, the second abutment surface 42 is provided on the opposite side of the internal combustion engine body 2 from the first abutment surface 41. The second abutment surface 42 abuts against the front surface of the case 22 (the front surface 2a of the internal combustion engine body 2) at a position where the case 22 and the cylinder block 21 abut. In this embodiment, the second abutment surface 42 abuts against the front surface of the flange 22a of the case 22. The lower end of the first abutment surface 41 is located lower than the lower end of the second abutment surface 42. The upper end of the first abutment surface 41 is located lower than the upper end of the second abutment surface 42.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the step portion 43 is formed by recessing the front surface of the bracket 4 toward the rear (or, from another perspective, recessing the outer surface of the bracket 4 in the vehicle width direction toward the inner surface in the vehicle width direction). The step portion 43 has a front step surface 43a and a rear step surface 43b recessed rearward from the front step surface 43a. The step portion 43 houses the housing 6c of the pulley device 6. The step portion 43 is located on the opposite side of the first abutment surface 41 in the front-to-rear direction, with the bracket 4 being sandwiched between them. Specifically, the first abutment surface 41 is located rearward of the front step surface 43a, with the bracket 4 being sandwiched between them. The second abutment surface 42 is located rearward of the rear step surface 43b, with the bracket 4 being sandwiched between them.

[0025] 4 and 5, the first mounting portion 44 is a portion for mounting the pulley device 6 from the left and right directions of the bracket. In this embodiment, the first mounting portion 44 has an upper first mounting portion 44a that fixes the upper side of the pulley device 6, a rear first mounting portion 44b that fixes the rear side of the pulley device 6, and a lower first mounting portion 44c that fixes the lower side of the pulley device 6. The upper first mounting portion 44a, the rear first mounting portion 44b, and the lower first mounting portion 44c each have a threaded screw hole, and a bolt (not shown) that passes through a flange (not shown) provided on the housing 6c is fastened to the upper first mounting portion 44a, the rear first mounting portion 44b, and the lower first mounting portion 44c.

[0026] 5, the lower first mounting portion 44c is disposed at a position overlapping with the first abutment surface 41 in the front-rear direction. By disposing the lower first mounting portion 44c in this manner, the load received by the pulley device 6 is easily transmitted to the first abutment surface 41. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when viewed from the left-right direction, the first abutment surface 41 and the second abutment surface 42 are located at positions where an imaginary line P connecting the rear first mounting portion 44b and the lower first mounting portion 44c passes. This makes it easy to transmit the load transmitted from the pulley device 6 to the first abutment surface 41 and the second abutment surface 42.

[0027] The second mounting portion 45 is a portion that mounts the bracket 4 to the side surface of the internal combustion engine body 2. In this embodiment, the second mounting portion 45 has two vertically aligned portions: an upper front second mounting portion 45a and a lower front second mounting portion 45b that secure the front side of the bracket 4, and two vertically aligned portions: an upper rear second mounting portion 45c and a lower rear second mounting portion 45d that secure the rear side of the bracket 4.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 7 , each second mounting portion 45 has a knock bushing 45e. The knock bushing 45e is a cylindrical part that is press-fitted into the cylinder block 21 or the bracket 4. The threaded holes of the cylinder block 21 and the bracket 4 are formed with enlarged holes that radially enlarge part of the threaded holes. The knock bushing 45e is inserted into the enlarged hole of either the cylinder block 21 or the bracket 4 and protrudes in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) from either the cylinder block 21 or the bracket 4. The part of the knock bushing 45e that protrudes from either the cylinder block 21 or the bracket 4 is inserted into an enlarged hole provided in the other of the cylinder block 21 or the bracket 4, fixing the position of the bracket 4 relative to the cylinder block 21 (internal combustion engine body 2). Furthermore, the knock bushing 45e transmits the longitudinal load that the bracket 4 receives to the internal combustion engine body 2. Each second mounting portion 45 has a through hole and a seating surface provided around the through hole, through which a bolt 45f passes. The bolt 45f is fastened to a thread groove provided in the cylinder block 21.

[0029] 5, the bracket 4 has a rib 47 that connects the second mounting portion 45 and the second abutment surface 42. In this embodiment, the rib 47 protrudes in the left-right direction from the side surface 4b of the bracket 4, and connects the upper rear second mounting portion 45c and the second abutment surface 42. This makes it easier for a load input to the bracket to be input to the second abutment surface 42.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the third mounting portion 46 is a portion where the alternator 10 is mounted. In this embodiment, the third mounting portion 46 is a through-hole provided at the upper end of the bracket 4 and extending in the front-rear direction. An alternator fixing bolt is inserted in the front-rear direction through an alternator flange (not shown) provided at the bottom of the alternator 10 and passes through the third mounting portion 46. The upper part of the alternator 10 is fixed to the internal combustion engine body 2 by a bolt inserted in the vehicle width direction. Because the third mounting portion 46 is a through-hole extending in the front-rear direction (the alternator fixing bolt extends in the front-rear direction), it is possible to prevent the alternator 10 from rotating in the front-rear direction toward the protective component 8 around the upper part of the alternator 10 as the center of rotation in the front-rear direction in the event of a collision of the vehicle C.

[0031] Next, the load that the bracket 4 receives when the vehicle C is subjected to an offset collision will be described.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2 , when the vehicle C has an offset collision, the collision object X collides with the portion where the bracket 4 is disposed. The collision object X first collides with the pulley device 6. The pulley device 6 receives a load from the collision object X and transmits it to the step portion 43 and the plurality of first mounting portions 44. The load received by the step portion 43 and the plurality of first mounting portions 44 is transmitted to the first abutment surface 41. The step portion 43 is disposed on the opposite side of the first abutment surface 41 and the second abutment surface 42 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the load is transmitted efficiently from the step portion 43 to the first abutment surface 41 and the second abutment surface 42.

[0033] The first contact surface 41 contacts the front surface of the case 22 at a portion where the space S is located. The case 22 receives a load from the first contact surface 41 and deforms. As a result, the case 22 moves the internal combustion engine 1 backward while absorbing part of the collision energy (load).

[0034] Because the lower end of the first contact surface 41 is wider than the upper end, the first contact surface 41 contacts the front surface of the case 22 without tilting in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction). Thereafter, the contact position between the first contact surface 41 and the front surface moves toward the upper end. As a result, the bracket 4 stably contacts the front surface. This allows the bracket 4 to efficiently transmit the load applied to the bracket 4 to the internal combustion engine body 2. As a result, the internal combustion engine 1 can be moved backward by the load applied to the bracket 4. Furthermore, because the lower end of the first contact surface 41 is wider than the upper end, the width narrows toward the upper side, allowing the load to be efficiently transmitted to the internal combustion engine body in a small space. Furthermore, because the bracket 4 transmits the load to the internal combustion engine body 2, the bracket 4 can prevent the load from being transmitted to the protective component 8 located behind the bracket 4. As a result, the bracket 4 can protect the protective component 8 located behind the bracket 4.

[0035] Furthermore, in this internal combustion engine 1, the lower end of the first contact surface 41 is located below the lower end of the second contact surface 42, and the upper end of the first contact surface 41 is located below the upper end of the second contact surface 42. As a result, when the vehicle C experiences an offset collision, the first contact surface 41, which is located below and forward of the second contact surface 42, first contacts the front surface of the case 22. Then, as the contact point of the first contact surface 41 moves upward, the second contact surface 42 contacts the front surface of the flange 22a of the case 22. By having the first contact surface 41 and then the second contact surface 42 contact the internal combustion engine body 2 in this order, the first contact surface 41 stably contacts the internal combustion engine body 2 without tilting the bracket 4 in the vehicle width direction, and the second contact surface 42 can easily contact the flange 22a. The flange 22a is fixed to the cylinder block 21 and is therefore less likely to deform. Therefore, the second contact surface 42 can directly transmit the collision energy to the cylinder block 21. As a result, the internal combustion engine 1 can be moved backward.

[0036] As described above, according to the present disclosure, an internal combustion engine that can move backward when a vehicle experiences an offset collision can be provided.

[0037] <Other embodiments> Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. In particular, the multiple modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary.

[0038] (a) In the above embodiment, an example in which three first attachment portions 44 are provided has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The number of first attachment portions 44 may be changed as appropriate.

[0039] (b) In the above embodiment, an example in which four second attachment portions 45 are provided has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The number of second attachment portions 45 may be changed as appropriate.

[0040] (c) In the above embodiment, a fuel booster pump was used as an example of the protective component 8, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The protective component 8 may be any component that needs to be protected in the event of a collision of the vehicle C. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1: internal combustion engine, 2: internal combustion engine body, 2a: front surface 4: Bracket, 4b: Side 6: Pulley device, 6a: Pulley 8: Protective parts, 10: Alternator 14: Crankshaft 21: Cylinder block, 22: Case, 22a: Flange 41: First contact surface, 42: Second contact surface, 43: Step portion 44: First mounting portion, 45: Second mounting portion, 46: Third mounting portion, 47: Rib C: Vehicle S: Space

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle, An internal combustion engine body; a bracket fixed to a side surface of the internal combustion engine body; Equipped with the internal combustion engine body is disposed at an incline such that its rear end is located lower than its front end on the vehicle, and has a front surface that extends in a vertical direction and whose upper end is located rearward of its lower end, the bracket has a first abutment surface that abuts against the front surface when the vehicle collides, The first contact surface has a lower end width greater than an upper end width. Internal combustion engine.

2. the bracket has a second abutment surface disposed at a position different from the first abutment surface, the internal combustion engine body includes a cylinder block and a case fixed to the cylinder block and covering a space provided in front of the cylinder block, When the vehicle collides, the first contact surface contacts a front surface of the case at a portion of the case where the space is located, and the second contact surface contacts a front surface of the case at a position where the case and the cylinder block contact each other.

2. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1.

3. A lower end of the first contact surface is located lower than a lower end of the second contact surface.

3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 2.

4. An upper end of the first contact surface is located lower than an upper end of the second contact surface.

3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 2.

5. a protective component protected by the bracket; the protective component is fixed to the side surface of the internal combustion engine body rearward of the bracket and at a height such that at least a portion of the protective component overlaps with the bracket in the front-rear direction; 2. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1.

6. The internal combustion engine body accommodates a crankshaft, the internal combustion engine further includes a pulley device that rotates by power transmitted from the crankshaft, the bracket has a first mounting portion for mounting the pulley device from the left and right directions of the bracket, The first attachment portion is disposed at a position overlapping the first contact surface in the front-rear direction.

2. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1.

7. The internal combustion engine body accommodates a crankshaft, the internal combustion engine further includes a pulley device that rotates by power transmitted from the crankshaft, the bracket has a stepped portion in which the pulley device is housed, The first abutment surface is located on the rear side of the step portion.

2. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1.

8. The bracket has a second mounting portion that mounts the bracket to a side surface of the internal combustion engine body, and a rib that connects the second mounting portion and the second contact surface.

3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 2.

9. The engine further includes an alternator that is rotated by power transmitted from the crankshaft, The bracket further includes a third mounting portion extending in the front-rear direction and configured to mount the alternator. An internal combustion engine according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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