Automotive engine air cleaners

Abstract

To improve dispersibility of air relative to a filter element without increasing the size of a body case in an air cleaner in which the body case, the filter element, and a cover are arranged in a horizontal direction.SOLUTION: An air cleaner includes: a body case 1 in which an inlet 10 is formed at an upper part; a cover 2 in which an outlet 12 is formed at a front end; and a filter element 3 sandwiched by the body case 1 and the cover 2. A dirty chamber 17 of the body case 1 has: a first chamber 17a located in front of an arrangement space of the filter element 3; a second chamber 17b facing the filter element 3; and a buffer space 7 located below the filter element 3. Air flowing downward from the inlet 10 is guided smoothly by a guide surface 9 and reaches the buffer space 7. Further, a direction of the air is changed to an upward direction in the buffer space 7 and then passes through the filter element 3 in a dispersed state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air cleaner for use in an automobile engine. [Background technology]

[0002] Gasoline and diesel engines are equipped with an air cleaner as an essential device for purifying the air. An air cleaner is composed of a fixed main body case, a movable (detachable or rotatable) cover, and a filter element detachably placed between the two. Air enters the main body case, passes through the filter element, and exits to the cover. Therefore, an air inlet and a dirty chamber are formed in the main body case, and an air outlet and a clean chamber are formed in the cover.

[0003] In air cleaners, the cover and main body case are generally arranged one above the other, and the filter element is often arranged in a roughly horizontal position. In this case, the clean chamber and the dirty chamber are arranged one above the other, sandwiching the filter element, and air passes through the filter element from bottom to top.

[0004] An example of this is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a measure to prevent damage to a battery in the event of a collision accident in a case where an air cleaner and a battery are arranged side-by-side in the engine room (engine compartment) of an automobile.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the intake duct connected to the main case of the air cleaner extends to the upper part of the upper radiator support that supports the top of the radiator and opens downwards.This configuration has the advantage of making effective use of space even if the engine compartment is narrow, and of being able to take in outside air that has not been heated by the engine heat, preventing a deterioration in filling efficiency. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-51290 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In Patent Document 1, the cover, filter element, and main body case are arranged vertically. In this case, air can be easily diffused in the dirty chamber, which makes it easy to improve the dispersibility of air to the filter element.

[0008] On the other hand, if the engine compartment is narrow and there is a need to avoid interference with other components, it may be necessary to align the cover, filter element, and main body case horizontally and make the inlet of the main body case open upwards. In this case, the air flowing downward from the inlet will change direction horizontally and pass through the filter element.

[0009] In this case, if the direction is changed in the upper half of the dirty chamber, the volume of the main body case can be made as small as possible and the installation space can be reduced; however, in this case, the air passes through the upper half of the filter element in a concentrated manner, which not only makes it more susceptible to clogging and shortens the life of the filter element, but also creates problems such as a decrease in output due to a decrease in the amount of intake and a deterioration in acceleration / deceleration responsiveness.

[0010] On the other hand, if the volume of the dirty chamber is made large enough so that the air can be sufficiently diffused in the dirty chamber, the air can be more easily dispersed in the filter element, and the life span and output of the filter element can be reduced. However, in this case, the main body case becomes larger and is more likely to interfere with other components. Therefore, it is often difficult to increase the volume of the dirty chamber.

[0011] The present invention was made against the background of the above-mentioned situation, and aims to improve the dispersion of air to the filter element while making the most of the space by minimizing the volume of the dirty chamber in an air cleaner in which air passes horizontally through a filter element. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The air cleaner of the present invention is As per claim 1, "A main case having an air inlet, a cover having an outlet for purified air, and a filter element sandwiched between the main case and the cover are arranged in a horizontal direction, The filter element is arranged so that the wide surface is in a substantially vertical position. A dirty chamber is formed between the main body case and the filter element. On the other hand, The entrance is On the outer side in the left-right direction of the filter element when viewed from the direction in which the main body case, the cover, and the filter element are arranged, The main body case is disposed on the upper part of the I The air flows downward from the inlet and changes direction. The above Dirty Room flow into " In this basic configuration, The filter element is disposed in the dirty chamber of the main body case. Located below the ceiling to diffuse air upwards Buffer Space And, before The air flowing down from the inlet is smoothly guided to the buffer space. A guide surface that is inclined so as to approach the filter element as it goes downward in a guiding manner. It is being formed.” It has the following characteristics:

[0013] As an example of the development of claim 1, claim 2 reads as follows: "The dirty chamber is divided by a vertical partition wall into a second chamber in which the filter element is exposed and a first chamber located on the side of the guide surface, and the vertical partition wall has a height that allows air to flow from the first chamber into the second chamber." The following configuration is adopted. The cover and main body case of an air cleaner are generally made of synthetic resin, and the present invention can use synthetic resin molded parts as in the past. The main body case can be made of a single molded part, but it can also be a composite part made by joining multiple shell-shaped members by welding or the like. Effect of the Invention

[0014] In the present invention, in an air cleaner in which the cover, filter element, and main body case are arranged horizontally, a buffer space and a guide surface are provided in the dirty chamber, thereby improving the dispersion of air to the filter element without increasing the volume of the dirty chamber. This makes it possible to minimize the volume occupied by the engine compartment and avoid interference with other components, while improving the life of the filter element and preventing a drop in output.

[0015] In addition, the air permeability to the filter element is improved, which contributes to suppressing vibration and ventilation noise. As described above, constructing the main body case from a composite product made of multiple parts makes it easy to manufacture even complex shapes (improving design freedom), which is beneficial in improving air dispersion and avoiding interference with other parts.

[0016] Also, In the present invention , Entrance of main body case but Across the width of the filter element Out of sync Since the air also changes direction horizontally before flowing into the buffer space, this is advantageous in that it is possible to further improve the diffusion of the air. In the invention of claim 2, the presence of the vertical partition wall allows the second chamber to function as a buffer space that kills the force of the airflow, so that the air can flow in a dispersed state over the entire surface of the filter element. Therefore, the dispersion effect of the buffer space and the dispersion effect of the vertical partition wall are combined to allow the air to flow evenly over the entire surface of the filter element. As a result, the entire filter element can be fully used, and the lifespan can be extended, while the ventilation volume can be increased, contributing to improved output (or improved response during acceleration and deceleration). In addition, in the present invention, the lower surface of the main body case is largely hollowed out at the guide surface, so that the main body case can be made as compact as possible to avoid interference with other members. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment, in which (A) is a perspective view seen from the front side, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of an intake suction duct and an intake feed duct. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the air cleaner. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] This is an oblique view from the front side with the outer parts of the main body case removed. [Diagram 5] This is an oblique view from the rear side with the outer parts of the main body case removed. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the outer parts of the main body case. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The air cleaner of this embodiment is disposed at the front of the engine room of an automobile, similar to Patent Document 1. In the following, the terms front-rear and left-right are used to specify directions, with the front-rear direction being the forward and backward directions of the automobile, and the left-right direction being the width direction of the automobile. Therefore, front-rear and left-right are directions as seen from the driver's perspective. Directions are clearly indicated in each drawing as appropriate.

[0019] (1).Basic structure An air cleaner is configured by stacking the main components, for example a main body case 1 and a cover 2 shown in Fig. 1, and a filter element 3 shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in the left-right direction (horizontal direction). The main body case 1 is configured with an inner member 4 hatched in Fig. 1 and an outer member 5 overlapping the inner member 4 from the side (from the left), and the two are joined by welding. Therefore, the main body case 1 is a composite product of the inner member 4 and the outer member 5 formed into a shell shape, the inner member 4 and the cover 2 overlap, and the filter element 3 is sandwiched between the cover 2 and the inner member 4.

[0020] In Fig. 2, the inner member 4 of the main body case 1 is hatched to clarify the boundaries. In Figs. 3 to 5, the hatched portion indicates the cover. Therefore, in this embodiment, the hatched portions do not represent cross sections.

[0021] As can be seen from FIG. 3, the main case 1 is elongated in the front-rear direction, and the lower reference line indicated by the symbol X is approximately the lower surface of the filter element 3 (or the cover 2). The area located directly below filter element 3 A downward protrusion 6 is formed on the inner case 1, protruding downward from the reference line X, and the inside of the downward protrusion 6 serves as a buffer space 7 (see FIGS. 4 to 6). The main body case 1 is composed of an inner member 4 and an outer member 5, and the downward protrusion 6 and the buffer space 7 are formed mainly in the inner member 4.

[0022] As shown in Figs. 1, 3 to 6, the downward protrusion 6 of the main body case 1 is triangular in shape with an apex at the bottom end in a side view. Therefore, the downward protrusion 6 has a front inclined surface 6a and a rear inclined surface 6b. The front surface of the main body case 1 forms a curved portion 8 that smoothly continues with the front inclined surface 6a of the downward protrusion 6, and the inner surface of the curved portion 8 is bulged inwards (concave outwards). Or, the lower part is inclined so as to approach the filter element 3. ) guide surface 9. Note that guide surface 9 may not be curved but may be an inclined flat surface.

[0023] An inlet 10 that opens upward and downward is formed at the upper end of the front part of the internal member 4 that constitutes the main body case 1. An air intake duct 11, which is shown in schematic form in Fig. 1(B), is connected to the inlet 10. On the other hand, the cover 2 has roughly the same shape in side view as the main body case 1 with the downward protrusion 6 removed, and has a clean chamber formed therein, and an outlet 12 that communicates with the clean chamber and opens forward is formed at the front end of the cover.

[0024] One end (upstream end) of an intake hose 13, which is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1, is connected to the outlet 12, and the other end (downstream end) of the intake hose 13 is connected to a throttle body (or a compressor housing of a turbocharger) not shown.

[0025] 4 and 5, filter element 3 has a vertically long rectangular shape in side view, and is sandwiched between the internal material 4 of main case 1 and cover 2. For this reason, a rectangular ventilation space 14 is opened in the internal material 4 of main case 1, and an inward flange 15 that holds filter element 3 is formed in ventilation space 14. Cover 2 is similar, and each corner has a step 3a (see Figs. 4 and 5) that presses and holds filter element 3.

[0026] The cover 2 is adapted to rotate horizontally left and right around its lower edge as a fulcrum, and is held in a closed state by a C-shaped clip 16 shown in Figs. 2 to 5. The filter element 3 can be replaced (inserted or removed) by releasing the fixation by the clip 16 and tilting the cover 2 to the right and rotating it open. In this case, the outlet 12 of the cover 2 opens forward, and the part of the intake hose 13 connected to the outlet 12 is in a longitudinal position, so that the intake hose 13 only bends slightly left and right when the cover 2 is opened or closed. Therefore, the intake hose 13 does not resist the opening and closing of the cover 2, and the filter element 3 can be easily replaced.

[0027] Clip 16 is connected to internal material 4 of main case 1, and jaw portion 16a (see FIG. 4, for example) engages with an outward flange portion (not shown) of cover 2. As shown in FIG. 3, two clips 16 are used, one with a rotation axis extending longitudinally from front to back, and the other with a rotation axis extending vertically, but either can be rotated from above, so cover 2 can be opened and closed easily even if components are densely arranged in the engine room.

[0028] (2) Internal space of main body case 1 As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inlet 10 of the main body case 1 is disposed on the front side of the ventilation space 14 that communicates with the cover 2. (The left side of filter element 3 in a side view, which is the direction in which the main elements are arranged.) That is, the inlet 10 is located at the front in the width direction (front-rear direction) of the filter element 3. Therefore, the dirty chamber 17 has a first chamber 17a located in front of the ventilation space 14 and a second chamber 17b facing the ventilation space 14.

[0029] Both the first chamber 17a and the second chamber 17b are composed of both the inner member 4 and the outer member 5, but because the inlet 10 is shifted toward the cover 2, the first chamber 17a has a large volume in the inner member 4. That is, as can be best understood from Figure 4, the first chamber 17a is separated from the arrangement space of the filter element 3 by a vertical partition wall 18, and extends deep to the right side toward the cover 2 toward the inlet 10.

[0030] Therefore, the lower surface of the first chamber 17a forms a curved guide surface 9, and the inner surface 19 located at the internal member 4 also forms an inclined surface (or curved surface) that approaches the cover 2 as it approaches the front.

[0031] On the other hand, as can be seen from Fig. 6 (also see Fig. 1), in the outer member 5, the left-right width of the first chamber 17a increases downward. Also, as can be seen from a comparison between Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the second chamber 17b has a larger volume in the second chamber 17b. The buffer space 7 is formed in both the inner member 4 and the outer member 5, but as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the buffer space 7 extends below the filter element 3 in the inner member 4.

[0032] A portion of the air flowing downward from the inlet 10 is guided by the guide surface 9 and flows smoothly downward as shown by the arrow 20, shifting laterally toward the outer member 5 and reaching the buffer space 7, where it changes direction upward and then changes direction horizontally to pass through the filter element 3 and reach the clean room of the cover 2. The vertical partition wall 18 does not reach the outer member 5, and a space exists between the vertical partition wall 18 and the outer member 5. Another part of the air turns horizontally and passes through the filter element 3 without reaching the buffer space 7, as shown by arrow 21 in FIG.

[0033] The air ejected from the inlet 10 has a downward direction, so a strong flow toward the buffer space 7 as shown by the arrow 20 is generated. However, the strong flow changes direction in the buffer space 7, where its momentum stops, and then becomes a weak upward flow, so that the air passes through the filter element 3 in a widely dispersed state.

[0034] In addition, in this embodiment, since the vertically elongated partition 18 is present in the first chamber 17a in the inner member 4, the air moving horizontally as indicated by the arrow 21 tends to be blocked by the vertically elongated partition 18 and move toward the outer member 5, where it is reflected toward the filter element 3. Therefore, the second chamber 17b also functions as a buffer space that kills the force of the air flow, and the air can flow in a dispersed state over the entire surface of the filter element 3.

[0035] In this embodiment, the dispersion effect due to the provision of the buffer space 7 and the dispersion effect due to the vertical partition wall 18 combine to allow air to flow evenly over the entire surface of the filter element 3. This allows the entire filter element 3 to be fully used, extending its lifespan, and increasing the amount of airflow, contributing to improved output (or improving the responsiveness of acceleration and deceleration). Furthermore, since the main body case 1 has the curved portion 8 and the lower surface is largely hollowed out, the main body case 1 can be made as compact as possible to avoid interference with other components.

[0036] When the buffer space 7 is disposed below the filter element 3 as in this embodiment, the air that has entered below the filter element 3 is blown back toward the outer member 5 as shown by the arrow 22 in Fig. 5, thereby exerting the effect of pushing the air that has entered the buffer space 7 toward the outer member 5. This causes the air to spread over the entire surface of the outer member 5, further improving the diffusibility in the second chamber 17b. This is also one of the advantages of this embodiment.

[0037] 4 and 5, a rear space 23 that communicates with the second chamber 17b of the dirty chamber 17 protrudes rearward from the rear end of the inner member 4 that constitutes the main body case 1, and a downward-facing auxiliary port 24 is provided in the rear space 23. The auxiliary port 24 communicates with the valve train chamber through a hose (not shown). In other words, the auxiliary port 24 is a port for introducing fresh air into the valve train chamber and the crank chamber.

[0038] 1(B), the tip of the intake duct 11 is connected to an intake port 27 formed in a horizontally elongated member 26 arranged in front of an upper radiator support 25 that holds the top end of the radiator (it may also be opened on the upper surface of the upper radiator support 25). Therefore, it is possible to avoid interference with other members and effectively utilize the space, and to take in air that has not been heated by the heat of the engine, preventing a decrease in the charging efficiency.

[0039] Also, a portion of the intake hose 13 is placed on the upper radiator support 25 before being directed to the throttle body (or turbocharger). In this respect as well, interference with other components can be avoided, and more space can be provided in the engine room.

[0040] In hybrid automobiles, the PCU (power control unit) takes up a large amount of space in the engine compartment, making it difficult to arrange the various components. However, in this embodiment, the intake duct 11 and intake hose 13 are arranged above the upper radiator support 25, providing as much space as possible in the engine compartment. Therefore, even in cases where there is limited space in the engine compartment, such as in hybrid automobiles, the air cleaner can be arranged in a state where it can function properly.

[0041] The present invention can be embodied in various forms other than those shown in the drawings. For example, the main body case may be made of a single member, and the dirty chamber may be formed only in a position facing the filter element. The cover, filter element, and main body case may be arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction (in this case, arranging the cover close to the filter element improves the workability of replacing the filter element). [Industrial Applicability]

[0042] The present invention can be embodied in an air cleaner for an automobile engine, and is therefore industrially applicable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 Main unit case 2 Cover 3 Filter elements 4. Internal parts that make up the main body case 5 External parts that make up the main body case 6 Downward protrusion 7 Buffer Space 8 Curved section 9 Curved guideway 10 Entrance 11 Air intake duct 12 Exit 13 Intake hose 14 Ventilation space 17 Dirty Room 17a Room 1 17b Room 2 18 Vertical bulkhead X Lower reference line roughly indicating the bottom edge of the filter element

Claims

1. A main body case having an air inlet, a cover having an outlet for purified air, and a filter element sandwiched between the main body case and the cover are arranged side by side in a horizontal direction, The filter element is disposed with its wide surface in a substantially vertical position, and a dirty chamber is formed between the main body case and the filter element. The inlet is disposed in an upper portion of the main body case on the outer side of the filter element in the left-right direction as viewed from the arrangement direction of the main body case, the cover, and the filter element, and air flows downward from the inlet, changes direction, and flows into the dirty chamber, The dirty chamber of the main body case is formed with a buffer space located below the filter element to diffuse air upward, and a guide surface that is inclined downward to approach the filter element so as to smoothly guide the air flowing down from the inlet into the buffer space. Air cleaner for automobile engines.

2. The dirty chamber is divided by a vertical partition into a second chamber in which the filter element is exposed and a first chamber located on the side of the guide surface, and the vertical partition has a height that allows air to enter the second chamber from the first chamber.

2. An air cleaner for an automobile engine according to claim 1.

Images