Oil receiver device
The oil receiver device addresses unpredictable oil dripping by adjusting the guide's angle based on flow momentum, preventing component soiling through automated control.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-25
AI Technical Summary
The momentum of oil flowing through the drain guide in an oil pan changes with the amount of oil stored, leading to unpredictable oil dripping positions and potential soiling of surrounding components.
An oil receiver device with a guide and rotating mechanism that adjusts the inclination angle based on the oil flow momentum, using a control device to automatically change the guide's position to prevent contamination.
The device effectively adjusts oil fall positions to prevent surrounding components from being soiled by discharged oil, ensuring consistent oil guidance without manual intervention.
Smart Images
Figure 2026104125000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to an oil receiver device.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an oil drain structure provided in an oil pan. Oil for lubricating the sliding parts of an engine is stored in the oil pan. When the oil drain structure discharges the oil stored in the oil pan, the drain guide protrudes due to the flow resistance of the oil. The oil flows down from the tip of the protruding drain guide. Even when the remaining amount of oil decreases and the oil drips, it is difficult for the oil to drip on the oil pan side.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] When the amount of oil stored in the oil pan is large, the momentum of the oil flowing through the drain guide is strong. As the amount of oil stored in the oil pan decreases, the momentum of the oil flowing through the drain guide weakens. The way the oil drips from the drain guide and the position where the oil drips change depending on the amount of oil stored in the oil storage part such as the oil pan. There is a risk that the surrounding members may be soiled by the oil discharged after flowing through the drain guide.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] An oil receiver device for solving the above problems is located below the outlet from which the oil is discharged and includes a guide that receives the oil discharged from the outlet and guides the oil flowing down its upper surface. The oil receiver device includes a rotating mechanism that allows the inclination angle, which is the angle between the horizontal plane and the guide, to be changed. [Effects of the Invention]
[0006] The oil receiver device described above can adjust the position where the oil falls by appropriately changing the inclination angle according to the force of the oil flowing along the guide. This prevents surrounding components from being contaminated by the discharged oil. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an oil receiver device in the first embodiment, an engine to which the oil receiver device is attached, and an oil filter attached to the engine. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the oil receiver device shown in Figure 1 during oil discharge. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the sequence of processes by which the processing circuit shown in Figure 1 controls the motor. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the oil receiver device in the second embodiment, the engine to which the oil receiver device is attached, and the oil filter attached to the engine. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0008] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment of the oil receiver device 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. In Figures 1 and 2, directions are indicated by arrows. "Up" in Figures 1 and 2 indicates the vertically upward direction. "Down" in Figures 1 and 2 indicates the vertically downward direction.
[0009] <Configuration of Engine 2 and Oil Filter 3> As shown in Figure 1, the engine 2 to which the oil receiver device 1 of this embodiment is attached has a filter mounting section 10. An oil filter 3 is detachably attached to the filter mounting section 10. The oil filter 3 houses an annular filter element 30 within a cylindrical housing container 49 formed by assembling a cap section 21 to a case section 20.
[0010] On the side surface 10B of the filter mounting section 10, there is an opening at one end of each of the multiple inflow passages 11 that guide the oil pumped up from the oil pan into the storage container 49.
[0011] A threaded pipe 13 protrudes from the side surface 10B of the filter mounting section 10. A male thread is formed on the outer circumference of the threaded pipe 13. The inside of the threaded pipe 13 is in communication with the discharge passage 12 provided in the filter mounting section 10.
[0012] The cap portion 21 of the oil filter 3 is provided with a plurality of inlet holes 57. At the center of the cap portion 21 is a screw hole 55 that extends in the axial direction of the oil filter 3 and has an internal thread formed on its inner circumference. A support cylinder 15 that extends in the axial direction of the oil filter 3 is connected to the screw hole 55. The support cylinder 15 is provided with a plurality of through holes 16.
[0013] The filter element 30 is a chrysanthemum-shaped element in which filter paper 33 folded in an accordion shape is rolled into an annular shape around the support cylinder 15 and sandwiched between the first support plate 31 and the second support plate 32. The first support plate 31 is a thin, plate-shaped disc member. The second support plate 32 is a thin, plate-shaped annular member having a hole 56 through which the support cylinder 15 is inserted.
[0014] The oil filter 3 is attached to the filter mounting part 10 by screwing together the female thread formed in the screw hole 55 of the cap part 21 with the male thread formed in the screw tube 13 of the filter mounting part 10. Once the oil filter 3 is attached to the filter mounting part 10, the oil filter 3 and the filter mounting part 10 are tightly sealed together via the O-ring 47.
[0015] The oil discharged from the oil pump flows into the containment container 49 through multiple inflow passages 11 and multiple inflow holes 57, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1. The oil that flows into the containment container 49 passes through the filter paper 33 of the filter element 30, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, and then passes through the through-hole 16 provided in the support cylinder 15. The oil that has passed through the through-hole 16 is supplied to various parts of the engine 2 through the discharge passage 12. In this way, the oil that flows into the oil filter 3 is filtered by passing through the filter paper 33 of the filter element 30 built into the oil filter 3.
[0016] As shown in Figure 2, when the oil filter 3 is removed from the filter mounting section 10, oil is discharged from the threaded pipe 13, the discharge passage 12, and the multiple inlet passages 11. In other words, the threaded pipe 13, the discharge passage 12, and the multiple inlet passages 11 are the discharge ports 60 that are opened when the oil filter 3 is removed from the filter mounting section 10. When the oil filter 3 is removed from the filter mounting section 10, any oil remaining inside the oil filter 3 is discharged from the threaded hole 55 and the multiple inlet holes 57.
[0017] <Configuration of oil receiver device 1> As shown in Figure 1, the oil receiver device 1 of this embodiment includes a guide 40, a rotating mechanism 43, and a control device 100. As shown in Figure 2, the oil receiver device 1 is mounted on the engine 2 such that the guide 40 is positioned vertically below the discharge port 60. The guide 40 is located below the discharge port 60. The guide 40 receives the oil discharged from the discharge port 60 and guides the oil flowing down its upper surface. For example, the guide 40 guides the oil to the oil receiver 51.
[0018] The pivoting mechanism 43 includes a rotating shaft 41 to which the guide 40 is connected, and a motor 42 that pivots the rotating shaft 41. The control device 100 has a processing circuit 101 that executes a program to perform various processes, and a storage device 102 in which the program is stored. The processing circuit 101 includes a processor. The storage device 102 can store various data. The processing circuit 101 controls the motor 42.
[0019] When the processing circuit 101 controls the motor 42, the rotating shaft 41 pivots. As the guide 40 moves vertically about the pivot axis according to the pivoting of the rotating shaft 41, the inclination angle θ, which is the angle formed between the horizontal plane L indicated by the dashed line and the guide 40, is changed.
[0020] The member 50 is a component disposed below the guide 40. The member 50 is, for example, the frame of a vehicle on which the engine 2 is mounted or a suspension arm of the vehicle.
[0021] The position of the guide 40 indicated by the solid line in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the predetermined initial position. The inclination angle θ formed between the horizontal plane L and the guide 40 indicated by the solid line is "θ1". The position of the guide 40 indicated by the dashed-dotted line in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the position of the guide 40 after the inclination angle θ has been changed by the pivoting mechanism 43. The inclination angle θ formed between the horizontal plane L and the guide 40 indicated by the dashed-dotted line is "θ2". "θ2" is an angle smaller than "θ1".
[0022] The arrow indicated by the broken line in FIG. 2 shows the oil discharged from the discharge port 60 immediately after the oil filter 3 is removed from the filter attachment portion 10. Immediately after the oil filter 3 is removed, oil is vigorously discharged from the discharge port 60. Therefore, immediately after the oil filter 3 is removed, the momentum of the oil flowing on the guide 40 is strong. Because the momentum of the oil flowing on the guide 40 is strong, the oil falls far from the end portion 40A of the guide 40.
[0023] Immediately after the oil filter 3 is removed, the guide 40 is in its default initial position. The default initial position is the position where the inclination angle θ is set to "θ1" so that the component 50 is not contaminated with oil immediately after the oil filter 3 is removed. The default initial position may be determined by taking into consideration the position of the oil receiver device 1, the length of the guide 40, the position of the component 50, etc., and adopting a position that has been determined in advance through experiments or other means so that the component 50 is not contaminated with oil.
[0024] The dotted arrows in Figure 2 indicate the oil discharged from the outlet 60 after some time has elapsed since the oil filter 3 was removed from the filter mounting section 10. As time passes, the force of the oil discharged from the outlet 60 weakens. As a result, the force of the oil flowing over the guide also weakens. If the force of the oil flowing over the guide 40 is weak, the oil will fall near the end 40A of the guide 40.
[0025] The position of guide 40 indicated by the dashed line is the position of guide 40 when oil is flowing as shown by the arrow indicated by the dashed line. At this time, the inclination angle θ between the horizontal plane L and guide 40 indicated by the dashed line is "θ2". "θ2" is a smaller angle than "θ1".
[0026] When time has elapsed since the removal of the oil filter 3, the inclination angle θ should be determined in advance through experiments or other means, taking into consideration the position of the oil receiver device 1, the length of the guide 40, and the position of the member 50, so that the member 50 does not become contaminated with oil.
[0027] <Control of motor 40 by processing circuit 101> The processing circuit 101 performs a series of processes to reduce the inclination angle θ when oil discharge from the outlet 60 begins. For example, the processing circuit 101 may determine that oil discharge has begun from the outlet 60 when a sensor provided on the engine 2 or the oil filter 3 detects that the oil filter 3 has been removed from the filter mounting part 10. The processing circuit 101 may also determine that oil discharge has begun from the outlet 60 when a sensor (not shown), such as a weight sensor or an electrical resistance sensor, detects that oil has adhered to the guide 40. The processing circuit 101 may also determine that oil discharge has begun from the outlet 60 when a switch (not shown) is operated by the user.
[0028] As shown in Figure 3, once this series of processes is initiated, in step S11, the processing circuit 101 gradually reduces the tilt angle θ by controlling the motor 42 as time elapses since the start of oil discharge. As a result, the guide 40 gradually rotates upward from its predetermined initial position. The speed at which the tilt angle θ is reduced may be determined by taking into consideration the position of the oil receiver device 1, the length of the guide 40, and the position of the member 50, and adopting a speed determined in advance through experiments or other means to prevent the member 50 from becoming contaminated with oil. After that, the processing circuit 101 proceeds to step S12.
[0029] In step S12, the processing circuit 101 controls the motor 42 to return the guide 40 to its default initial position after a predetermined time has elapsed since the oil discharge began. After that, the processing circuit 101 completes the series of processes shown in Figure 3.
[0030] <Operation of the First Embodiment> The stronger the force of the oil flowing over the guide 40, the further the oil falls from the end 40A of the guide 40. Therefore, when the inclination angle θ is constant, the stronger the force of the oil flowing over the guide 40, the further the oil falls from the outlet 60. On the other hand, when the force of the oil flowing over the guide 40 is constant, the smaller the inclination angle θ, the further the oil falls from the outlet 60 compared to when the inclination angle θ is large. Therefore, for example, if the force of the oil flowing over the guide 40 is weak, the oil can be made to fall to the same position as when the oil force is strong by reducing the inclination angle θ.
[0031] <Effects of the First Embodiment> (1-1) The oil receiver device 1 described above can adjust the position where the oil falls by appropriately changing the inclination angle θ according to the force of the oil flowing on the guide 40. This prevents the surrounding members 50 from being contaminated by the discharged oil.
[0032] (1-2) The oil receiver device 1 comprises a rotating mechanism 43 and a control device 100. The rotating mechanism 43 comprises a rotating shaft 41 to which the guide 40 is connected, a motor 42 that rotates the rotating shaft 41, and a control device 100 having a processing circuit 101 that controls the motor 42. The tilt angle θ is changed by the processing circuit 101 controlling the motor 42. In the above oil receiver device 1, the guide 40 is rotated by the control device 100 controlling the motor 42, so manual operation of the rotating mechanism 43 is not required, and contamination of surrounding members 50 by discharged oil can be suppressed.
[0033] (1-3) Immediately after the discharge of oil from the outlet 60 begins, the oil flows vigorously over the guide 40 because of the large volume of oil being discharged. Subsequently, as time passes after the start of oil discharge, the force of the oil flowing over the guide 40 weakens.
[0034] Therefore, the processing circuit 101 controls the motor 42 to reduce the tilt angle θ as time elapses since the start of oil discharge. This allows the oil receiver device 1 to automatically adjust the angle of the guide 40.
[0035] (1-4) The oil receiver device 1 is attached to the engine 2, which has an oil filter 3 detachably attached to the filter mounting section 10. The guide 40 of the oil receiver device 1 is located vertically below the discharge port 60 that is opened when the oil filter 3 is removed from the filter mounting section 10. As a result, the oil receiver device 1 can prevent surrounding components 50 from being contaminated by oil discharged from the engine 2 and the oil filter 3 when the oil filter 3 is removed.
[0036] <Example of modification of the first embodiment> The first embodiment described above can be implemented with the following modifications. The above first embodiment and the following examples of modifications to the first embodiment can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.
[0037] The oil receiver device 1 does not need to be attached to the engine 2, as long as it can guide the oil discharged when the oil filter 3 is removed from the filter mounting section 10 to a predetermined position. For example, the oil receiver device 1 may be attached to member 50 via a support member.
[0038] The oil receiver device 1 may include a sensor for detecting the amount of oil present on the guide 40. The processing circuit 101 may control the motor 42 to change the tilt angle θ based on the amount of oil present on the guide 40. The sensor for detecting the amount of oil present on the guide 40 may be, for example, a weight sensor or an electrical resistance sensor.
[0039] (Second Embodiment) Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. The second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. The configuration of the engine 2 and oil filter 3 in the second embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment.
[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the oil receiver device 1 is equipped with a rotating mechanism 43. The rotating mechanism 43 comprises a rotating shaft 41 to which the guide 40 is connected, and a torsion coil spring 44 mounted around the rotating shaft 41.
[0041] The position of guide 40, shown by the solid line, is the default initial position. The inclination angle θ at the default initial position is "θ1". The default initial position may be determined in advance through experiments or other means, taking into consideration the position of the oil receiver device 1, the length of guide 40, the position of member 50, etc.
[0042] Guide 40 rotates from its initial position so that the inclination angle θ increases due to the weight of the oil present on it. The position of guide 40 shown by the dashed line is the position of guide 40 when the inclination angle θ becomes "θ2" due to the weight of the oil present on it. In the second embodiment, "θ1" is a smaller angle than "θ2". The torsion coil spring 44 biases guide 40 toward its initial position in a direction that reduces the inclination angle θ.
[0043] <Operation of the second embodiment> As oil flows over the guide 40, the weight of the oil present on the guide 40 increases the inclination angle θ between the guide 40 and the horizontal plane L. The torsion coil spring 44 biases the guide 40 toward its initial position, reducing the inclination angle θ. Therefore, as the amount of oil flowing over the guide decreases, the inclination angle θ between the guide 40 and the horizontal plane L decreases. This allows the point where the oil falls to be moved away from the discharge port 60, even when the force of the oil flowing over the guide 40 weakens.
[0044] <Effects of the second embodiment> In the configuration of the second embodiment, the same effects as in (1-1) of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, the configuration of the second embodiment can obtain the following effects.
[0045] (2-1) The oil receiver device 1 described above rotates the guide 40 by a torsion coil spring 44, so that the surrounding components 50 do not become contaminated by the discharged oil without requiring manual operation of the rotation mechanism 43.
[0046] <Example of modification of the second embodiment> The above second embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above second embodiment and the following examples of modifications to the second embodiment can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.
[0047] The oil receiver device 1 may consist only of a rotating shaft 41 that allows the guide 40 to rotate vertically as the rotating mechanism 43. Even in this case, the user can change the inclination angle θ by operating the rotating mechanism 43. Changing the inclination angle θ manually can also prevent the surrounding components 50 from being contaminated by the discharged oil.
[0048] <Other examples of changes> The following are some elements that can be modified in common with each of the above embodiments. The following examples of modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.
[0049] The oil receiver device 1 may be attached to an oil pan having an oil drain hole as an outlet 60. In that case, the oil receiver device 1 should be positioned in a location that allows it to guide the oil discharged from the oil drain hole to a predetermined location.
[0050] The control device 100 may be configured as a circuit including one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program (software). Alternatively, the control device 100 may be configured as a circuit including one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or a combination thereof, that execute at least some of the various processes. The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM. The memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. Memory, or computer-readable media, includes any available media that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0051] θ... Inclination angle, L... Horizontal plane, 1... Oil receiver device, 2... Engine, 3... Oil filter, 10... Filter mounting section, 40... Guide, 41... Rotating shaft, 42... Motor, 43... Rotation mechanism, 44... Torsion coil spring, 60... Discharge port, 100... Control device, 101... Processing circuit
Claims
1. A guide located below the outlet from which the oil is discharged, and which receives the oil discharged from the outlet and guides the oil flowing down its upper surface, It includes a rotating mechanism that allows the tilt angle, which is the angle formed by the horizontal plane and the guide, to be changed. Oil receiver device.
2. The rotating mechanism comprises a rotating shaft to which the guide is connected, and a motor that rotates the rotating shaft. The control device comprises a processing circuit for controlling the motor, The processing circuit controls the motor, thereby changing the tilt angle. The oil receiver device according to claim 1.
3. The processing circuit reduces the tilt angle by controlling the motor as time elapses since the oil discharge begins. The oil receiver device according to claim 2.
4. The rotation mechanism comprises a rotating shaft to which the guide is connected, and a torsion coil spring mounted around the rotating shaft, The guide rotates from its initial position to an angle of inclination due to the weight of the oil present on the guide, and the torsion coil spring biases the guide toward the initial position in a direction that reduces the angle of inclination. The oil receiver device according to claim 1.
5. In an engine in which an oil filter is detachably attached to a filter mounting section, the guide is mounted to the engine such that it is positioned vertically below the outlet that is opened when the oil filter is removed from the filter mounting section. The oil receiver device according to claim 1.