Spacer and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a spacer whose porous body can be formed into a desired thickness and which can regulate a flow of cooling water circulating in cooling water flow passage, and its manufacturing method.SOLUTION: A spacer 10 arranged in a cooling water flow passage 3 which is formed at a cylinder block 1 of an internal combustion engine A, and regulating a flow of cooling water, comprises: a molding 11 composed of a resin material; a first porous body 12 arranged at one side face 11a of the molding, and having a penetration hole 12c; a second porous body 13 arranged at the one side face; and a concaved recess 14 formed in the penetration hole of the one side face. The first porous body and the second porous body are integrally molded with the molding by the partial immersion of the resin material, and have such characteristics that thicknesses in thickness directions are increased with the addition of a prescribed external factor as a trigger. The second porous body has an overlapping part 15 which is partially overlapped on a part of the first porous body, and overlapped on a formation position of the recess in a depth direction of the cooling water flow passage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a spacer disposed in a concave cooling water flow path formed in a state of surrounding a cylinder bore in a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Examples of the spacer as described above include Patent Documents 1 and 2 below. In the spacers disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below, a porous body that swells when it comes into contact with cooling water is attached to the surface on the cylinder bore side of a molded body made of a resin material and contacts the wall surface on the cylinder bore side of the cooling water flow path. Since the porous body attached to the molded body in this way has a small thickness before swelling, when inserting the spacer into the cooling water flow path, the insertion resistance can be reduced and it can be inserted smoothly. After being disposed in the cooling water flow path, it swells and can regulate the flow of cooling water (flow rate, flow velocity, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, the above-mentioned spacer is manufactured by injection molding a resin material after placing the porous body in a predetermined position in the mold in advance. At this time, when the end face of the porous body is impregnated with the resin material, even if a predetermined external factor is added to the porous body, the porous body will grow in a kamaboko shape with a curved end face side when viewed in cross section, and the desired thickness may not be achieved near the end face. In particular, in the vicinity of the positioning protrusion for positioning the porous body, a gap is likely to be formed between the porous body and the positioning protrusion due to the variation in the dimensions of the porous body and the positioning protrusion, and the resin material is likely to enter the end face of the porous body. For this reason, even if a predetermined external factor is added as designed, the porous body may not grow to the desired thickness near the end face, and the flow of cooling water may not be regulated as specified. Furthermore, since the porous body grows in a kamaboko shape as described above, a certain distance is required from the end face to grow to a sufficient thickness, and the desired thickness may not be achieved in the area where the distance between the opposing end faces of the porous body is close.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a spacer and a manufacturing method thereof that can adjust the thickness of a porous body to a desired thickness and regulate the flow of cooling water passing through a cooling water flow path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the spacer of the present invention is a spacer that is placed in a cooling water flow path provided in a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine and regulates the flow of cooling water, and comprises a molded body made of a resin material, a first porous body provided on one side of the molded body and having a through hole, a second porous body provided on the one side, and a concave recess portion formed inside the through hole on the one side, wherein the first porous body and the second porous body are partially impregnated with the resin material and molded integrally with the molded body, and have a characteristic of increasing in thickness in response to the addition of a predetermined external factor, and the second porous body has a portion that overlaps with a portion of the first porous body and has an overlap portion that overlaps the formation position of the recess portion in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path.

[0007] Also, in order to achieve the above object, according to another spacer of the present invention, it is a spacer disposed in a cooling water flow path provided in a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine and regulating the flow of cooling water, comprising: a molded body made of a resin material; a first porous body provided on one side surface of the molded body; a second porous body provided on the one side surface; and a concave recess formed at a peripheral portion of the first porous body on the one side surface. The first porous body and the second porous body are integrally formed with the molded body by partial impregnation of the resin material, and have a characteristic that the thickness in the thickness direction increases when a predetermined external factor is applied. A part of the second porous body overlaps a part of the first porous body, and has an overlapping portion that overlaps in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path with the formation position of the recess.

[0008] Also, in order to achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing a spacer of the present invention includes a molded body made of a resin material and a plurality of porous bodies having a characteristic that the thickness in the thickness direction increases when a predetermined external factor is applied, and is a method for manufacturing a spacer disposed in a cooling water flow path provided in a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine and regulating the flow of cooling water. The method includes: a first positioning step of disposing a first porous body among the plurality of porous bodies using a positioning protrusion provided in a mold; a second positioning step of disposing a second porous body among the plurality of porous bodies on the first porous body; and a resin injection step of injecting the resin material into a cavity of the mold after closing the mold and integrally molding the molded body in a state where the resin material is impregnated into a part of the first porous body and the second porous body. In the second positioning step, a part of the second porous body is overlapped with a part of the first porous body and disposed at a position overlapping in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path with the formation position of the positioning protrusion.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the spacer of the present invention, the thickness of the porous body can be made into a desired thickness, and the flow of cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path, particularly the flow in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path, can be regulated.

[0010] Moreover, according to the method for manufacturing a spacer according to the present invention, the thickness of the porous body can be made to a desired thickness, and a spacer can be obtained that can regulate the flow of cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path, particularly the flow in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, the spacer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The spacer 10 according to the present embodiment is disposed in a cooling water flow path 3 provided in a cylinder block 1 of an internal combustion engine A in order to regulate the flow of cooling water. The spacer 10 includes a molded body 11 made of a resin material, a first porous body 12 provided on one side surface 11a of the molded body 11 and having a through hole 12c, and a second porous body 13 provided on the one side surface 11a. Further, the spacer 10 includes a concave recess 14 formed inside the through hole 12c on the one side surface 11a. The first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 are integrally formed with the molded body 11 with a part of the resin material impregnated therein, and have a characteristic that the thickness in the thickness direction increases when a predetermined external factor is applied. A part of the second porous body 13 overlaps a part of the first porous body 12 and has an overlapping portion 15 that overlaps the formation position of the recess 14 in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3. Details will be described below. Note that some of the detailed reference numerals attached to other figures are omitted in some figures. In the present specification, the flow direction and the depth direction of each member are defined based on the state in which the spacer 10 is disposed in the cooling water flow path 3. Further, in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3, the opening 3e side is described as the upper side and the opposite direction is described as the lower side. Further, in the flow direction of the cooling water flow path 3, the right side on the paper surface of FIG. 1(a) is described as one side and the left side is described as the other side.

[0013] <First Embodiment> With reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, the spacer 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1(a) is a schematic perspective view schematically showing the spacer 10, FIG. 1(b) is an explanatory view for explaining the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13, and FIG. 1(c) is an explanatory view schematically showing the positional relationship between the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13. In FIG. 1(c), the overlapping portion of the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 is shown by diagonal hatching. FIG. 2(a) is an enlarged view corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X' in FIG. 1(a) in a state where the spacer 10 is disposed in the cooling water flow path 3, and FIG. 2(b) is a view of a state where cooling water is supplied into the cooling water flow path 3 from the state of FIG. 2(a). Further, FIG. 3(a) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a position corresponding to the overlapping portion of the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 in FIG. 2(a), and FIG. 3(b) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a position corresponding to the overlapping portion of the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 in FIG. 2(b). And FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view in a state where the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 in FIG. 1(a) are enlarged (the state shown in FIG. 3(b)), (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A', (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B', (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C', and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D'.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spacer 10 is disposed in the cooling water flow path (water jacket) 3 of the cylinder block 1. A cylinder head 30 is arranged on the upper surface of the cylinder block 1, and an oil pan (not shown) is arranged on the lower surface of the cylinder block 1. The cylinder head 30 is integrally fastened to the cylinder block 1 so that the opening 3e of the cooling water flow path 3 is blocked as shown in FIG. 3(b). The cylinder block 1 constitutes an internal combustion engine A having a plurality of cylinders, and a plurality of cylinder bores (cylinders) 2 are provided so as to be connected in series in an adjacent state. Around the plurality of cylinder bores 2, a grooved cooling water flow path 3 of the open deck type is formed in series. Further, at appropriate positions of the cylinder block 1, a cooling water inlet (not shown) and a cooling water outlet (not shown) communicating with the cooling water flow path 3 are provided. The cooling water outlet is pipe-connected to a radiator (not shown), and the outlet side of the radiator is pipe-connected to the cooling water inlet via a water pump (not shown). Thus, it is configured such that cooling water (including antifreeze) circulates between the cooling water flow path 3 and the radiator.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, a cylinder bore wall 20 is formed between the cylinder bore 2 and the cooling water flow path 3, and both wall surfaces facing each other across the cooling water flow path 3 are constituted by an inner wall surface 3c on the cylinder bore 2 side and an outer wall surface 3d on the side opposite to the cylinder bore 2. The cooling water flow path 3 is formed so as to efficiently cool the cylinder bore wall 20, and has a plurality of arc-shaped portions 3a formed so as to surround the cylinder bore 2 via the cylinder bore wall 20 as shown in FIG. 2, and a plurality of constricted portions 3b formed so as to be paired and approach each other at a portion between adjacent cylinder bores 2, 2. The groove width of the constricted portion 3b is larger than the groove width of the other arc-shaped portions 3a of the cooling water flow path 3.

[0016] <Spacer> As shown in Fig. 1(a) and the like, the spacer 10 includes a molded body 11 made of a resin material, a first porous body 12, and a second porous body 13. The molded body 11 has a curved shape according to the shape of the cooling water flow path 3. Specifically, the molded body 11 has a plurality of arc portions 110 formed so as to surround a plurality of cylinder bores 2 via a cylinder bore wall 20, and a convex curved surface 111 formed between adjacent arc portions 110 of the arc portions 110. The convex curved surface 111 is disposed in a constricted portion 3b formed between the cylinder bore 2 adjacent to the cylinder bore 2 of the cooling water flow path 3. A protrusion 112 protruding in a columnar shape is provided on the other side surface 11b of the molded body 11. As shown in Figs. 3(a), 3(b), and 4(d), a recess 14 is formed inside the protrusion 112. As shown in Figs. 3(a), 3(b), and 4(d), a recess 14 is formed inside the protrusion 112. The tip of the protrusion 112 abuts against the outer wall surface 3d when the thickness in the thickness direction increases due to a predetermined external factor being applied to the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 in the cooling water flow path 3. Therefore, the tip surface has a shape along the shape of the outer wall surface 3d. The protrusion 112 is formed by solidification of the resin material r that has flowed into the space between the outer peripheral surface of the positioning protrusion 212 and the second cavity surface 221 of the second mold 220 during the manufacture of the spacer 10 described later. Therefore, a cavity is formed inside the protrusion 112 (the position where the positioning protrusion 212 is arranged), and the cavity is configured as the recess 14. Further, the recess 14 may be formed to include the resin material r that has flowed into and solidified between the outer peripheral surface of the positioning protrusion 212 inserted through the through hole 12c of the first porous body 12 and the through hole 12c of the first porous body 12.

[0017] The first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 are flexible sheet bodies having substantially the same thickness, and have the property that the thickness in the thickness direction increases when a predetermined external factor is applied. The first porous body 12 is attached to one side surface 11a of the molded body 11 including the convex curved surface 111, specifically, on the side of the cylinder bore 2. Therefore, the first porous body 12 is attached in a curved state along the convex curved surface 111, and is disposed in the constricted shape portion 3b which is a portion formed between the cylinder bore 2 adjacent to the cylinder bore 2 of the cooling water flow path 3.

[0018] The first porous body 12 is a rectangular sheet body, and the dimension in the flowing direction of the cooling water (the dimension in the longitudinal direction) and the dimension in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path (the dimension in the short-side direction) are formed smaller than the dimension in the flowing direction and the dimension in the depth direction of the second porous body 13. The first porous body 12 is provided with two circular through-holes 12c arranged at intervals along the flowing direction of the cooling water flow path 3. When viewed from the side of the through-hole 12c in plan view, there is a recessed portion 14 formed in the protrusion 112 of the molded body 11 inside the through-hole 12c. The first porous body 12 is impregnated with a resin material on the surface in contact with one side surface 11a of the molded body 11, the portions not overlapping with the second porous body 13 in the depth direction end portions 12b, 12b in the thickness direction, and the edge portions of the through-holes 12c, and is integrally formed with the molded body 11.

[0019] A plurality of second porous bodies 13 are provided with the first porous body 12 interposed therebetween. In the present embodiment, two second porous bodies 13, 13 are arranged so as to overlap with respective end portions 12a, 12a on both sides in the flow direction in the cooling water flow path 3 of the first porous body 12. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the second porous body 13 is provided with a concave portion 130 formed in a concave shape at the central portion in the depth direction of the end portion 13a in the flow direction located on the first porous body 12 side. When integrally molding the second porous bodies 13, 13 with the molded body 11, they are arranged such that the through holes 12c of the first porous body 12 are located within the concave portion 130 of the second porous body 13 (see FIG. 1(c)). Thereby, a part of the second porous body 13 overlaps a part of the first porous body 12, and has an overlapping portion 15 that overlaps the formation position of the recessed portion 14 in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3. As shown in FIG. 1(c), the overlapping portion 15 is formed in a substantially reverse C shape on one side in the flow direction and a substantially C shape on the other side in the flow direction in side view, and is provided so as to sandwich the recessed portion 14 from both sides in the depth direction. The surface of the second porous body 13 that contacts one side surface 11a of the molded body 11 and the peripheral portion (end portions 13a, 13a in the flow direction, end portions 13b, 13b in the depth direction, concave portion 130) are impregnated with a resin material. The overlapping portion 15 of the second porous body 13 is provided between the molded body 11 and the first porous body 12 as shown in FIG. 2(a) and the like. Therefore, when the thicknesses of the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 increase in the thickness direction by the cooling water, the overlapping portion 15 of the second porous body 13 brings about an action of pushing up the first porous body 12. Thus, the combined thickness of the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 can be made the desired thickness. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 are configured to be flush with one side surface 11a of the molded body 11. Therefore, the overlapping portion 15 is configured to be located on the other side surface 11b side than the first porous body 12.

[0020] The first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 are not particularly limited as long as they have the property of increasing the thickness in the thickness direction triggered by the addition of a predetermined external factor. However, in the present embodiment, those made of a cellulose-based sponge are used. The cellulose-based sponge is made of a natural material composed of pulp-derived cellulose and natural fibers (for example, cotton, etc.) added as reinforcing fibers, and has a continuous bubble type and excellent water absorption. Here, cellulose has a hydrophilic group (OH) and is known to be chemically easily compatible with moisture. Therefore, when the cellulose-based sponge is dried in a compressed state, the cellulose molecules are hydrogen-bonded to maintain the compressed state. On the other hand, when exposed to moisture from this state, the water molecules dissociate the hydrogen bonds between the cellulose molecules and the compressed state is restored. Therefore, the cellulose-based sponge is suitable as the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 3(a), when the spacer 10 configured as described above is assembled into the cooling water flow path 3, the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 are in a thin compressed state before restoration, so they are easy to assemble. Then, when cooling water is supplied to the cooling water flow path 3, the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 come into contact with the cooling water, absorb water and swell, the thickness in the thickness direction increases and they expand greatly, and as shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 3(b), they contact the inner wall surface 3c of the cooling water flow path 3, and the flow of the cooling water can be restricted.

[0022] However, at this time, strictly speaking, as shown in FIGS. 3(b), 4(c), and 4(d), the edge and the vicinity of the through-hole 12c of the first porous body 12 are inhibited from restoring by the impregnated resin material, so sufficient expansion does not occur and they do not contact the inner wall surface 3c of the cooling water flow path 3.

[0023] However, when the second porous body 13 expands, the overlapping portion 15 with the first porous body 12 pushes up the first porous body 12 arranged above, so that the total restoration amount can be set to a desired thickness, and the first porous body 12 contacts the inner wall surface 3c of the cooling water flow path 3. Therefore, the flow of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path 3 can be regulated as designed. In addition, the portions of the first porous body 12, which are the end portions 12a, 12a in the flow direction and the end portions 12b, 12b in the depth direction and overlap with the second porous body 13 in the thickness direction, are in contact with the molded body 11 made of a resin material via the second porous body 13, so that the resin material is not impregnated during manufacturing, and the first porous body 13 smoothly restores and easily expands.

[0024] In addition, in such a spacer, since the positioning protrusion 212 is inserted into the through hole 12c of the first porous body 12 to position it, it is inevitable that the resin material will be impregnated between the through hole 12c of the first porous body 12 and the positioning protrusion 212 in manufacturing. In addition, the resin-impregnated porous body is unlikely to restore to the desired thickness in the vicinity of the through hole 12c, and there is a risk that the porous body will not restore to the extent that it contacts the inner wall surface 3c. In that case, the cooling water may flow into the gap between the porous body and the inner wall surface 3c, and the cooling water may not be sufficiently regulated. Therefore, in this embodiment, a part of the second porous body 13 overlaps a part of the first porous body 12 and has an overlapping part 15 that overlaps the formation position of the recessed part 14 formed corresponding to the positioning protrusion 212 in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3. In this embodiment, a porous body is not arranged in the recessed part 14, but the overlapping part 15 is provided on both sides of the recessed part 14 in the depth direction. Therefore, when the thickness of the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 increases as a result of the supply of cooling water, the portions of the first porous body 12 that are difficult to restore can be compensated for by the overlapping portions 15 of the second porous body 13 to achieve the desired thickness, thereby regulating the flow rate and flow speed of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path 3, and in particular, regulating the flow of the cooling water up and down in the depth direction.

[0025] Furthermore, the molded body 11 of the present embodiment has a convex curved surface 111 on one side surface 11a, and is disposed in a portion formed between the cylinder bores 2 adjacent to the cylinder bore 2 of the cooling water flow path 3. The first porous body 12 is attached in a curved state along the side surface of the molded body 11 including the convex curved surface 111. In particular, the curved portion disposed between the cylinder bores 2 has a larger curvature than other portions, and the first porous body 12 tends to be difficult to restore. Also, since the first porous body 12 attached to the convex curved surface 111 of the molded body 11 is difficult to extend in the circumferential direction during restoration, the restoration in the thickness direction is suppressed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by overlapping a part of the second porous body 13 on a part of the first porous body 12 attached to one side surface 11a of the molded body 11 including the convex curved surface 111, as described above, a desired thickness can be obtained during restoration. The first porous body 12 is attached in a curved state along the convex curved surface 111 of the molded body 11, and the second porous body 13 is disposed so as to overlap the end portions on both sides of the first porous body 12. Therefore, by overlapping the second porous body 13 between the portion of the first porous body 12 that is difficult to restore and the molded body 11, a part of the first porous body 12 is restored in a free state without being directly fixed to the molded body 11, so that it becomes easier to obtain a desired thickness of the porous body. In particular, the spacer 10 of the present embodiment has overlapping portions 15, 15 on both sides in the flow direction of the first porous body 12, and the number of portions fixed to the molded body 11 is reduced. As a result, the difference in the circumferential length between the fixed side (the side of one side surface 11a of the molded body 11) during restoration of the first porous body 12 and the surface side (the side facing the inner wall surface 3c) of the first porous body 12 becomes smaller, and it becomes even easier to restore in the thickness direction.

[0026] Next, a method for manufacturing the spacer 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The manufacturing method of the spacer 10 in the present embodiment includes a first positioning step of arranging the first porous body 12 using a positioning projection 212 provided on a mold 200 (first mold 210), and a second positioning step of arranging a second porous body 13 among a plurality of porous bodies on the first porous body 12. Further, the manufacturing method of the spacer 10 of the present embodiment includes a resin injection step of injecting a resin material r into the cavity 230 of the mold 200 after closing the mold and integrally molding the resin material r into the molded body 11 in a state where the first porous body 12 and a part of the second porous body 13 are impregnated. In the second positioning step, a part of the second porous body 13 is overlapped with a part of the first porous body 12 and arranged at a position overlapping with the formation position of the positioning projection 212 in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3. Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given along the flowchart shown in steps S101 to S106 in FIG. 5. In the following description, the manufacturing steps in FIG. 5 described as "step Sxxx" will be abbreviated as only the reference numeral "Sxxx".

[0027] <Mold> First, the mold 200 used for manufacturing the spacer 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6(c), the mold 200 is composed of a first mold 210 which is a fixed mold and a second mold 220 which is a movable mold that can move relative to the first mold 210 and can be moved away and close. The first mold 210 includes a first cavity surface 211 and a substantially columnar positioning projection 212 provided on the concave curved surface portion 211a of the first cavity surface 211. The second mold 220 includes a second cavity surface 221 and a resin supply portion 222 formed through the second cavity surface 221. The mold 200 forms a cavity 230 which is a space filled with the resin material r and is composed of the first cavity surface 211 and the second cavity surface 221 when the first mold 210 and the second mold 220 are closed.

[0028] <Manufacturing method> As shown in Fig. 6(a), in the mold-open state, a first positioning step (S101) is performed in which the through-hole 12c of the first porous body 12 is inserted into the positioning protrusion 212 of the first mold 210, and the first porous body 12 is placed on the first cavity surface 211 of the first mold 210. Since the first porous body 12 is a thin and flexible sheet, the first porous body 12 can be curved and arranged along the concave curved surface portion 211a of the first cavity surface 211. Also, if the through-hole 12c formed in the first porous body 12 is inserted into the positioning protrusion 212, the first porous body 12 can be easily positioned at a desired position, and in the resin injection step (S104) described later, it is possible to prevent the first porous body 12 from moving under the injection pressure of the resin material r.

[0029] Next, as shown in Fig. 6(b), a second positioning step (S102) is performed in which the second porous body 13 is placed on top of the first porous body 12. At this time, since the second porous body 13 is a thin and flexible sheet, it can be curved and arranged along the convex curved surface of the first cavity surface 211. Also, the second porous body 13 is arranged at a position where the concave portion 130 overlaps with the formation position of the positioning protrusion 212 in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3 while avoiding the through-hole 12c of the first porous body 12. Therefore, the concave portion 130 is arranged so as to sandwich the positioning protrusion 212 from both sides in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3. In the same manner, another second porous body 13 is placed on top of the first porous body 12.

[0030] After the first positioning step and the second positioning step are performed, the second mold 220 is brought close to the first mold 210 and the mold is closed (S103). As a result, the cavity 230 is formed. Then, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the molten resin material r supplied from the outside through the resin supply portion 222 is injected into the cavity 230, and a resin injection step is performed in which the resin material r is integrally molded with the molded body 11 in a state where the first porous body 12 and a part of the second porous body 13 are impregnated with the resin material r (S104). Thereafter, the resin material r filled in the cavity 230 is cooled and solidified under a pressure holding state (S105). By solidifying the resin material r, the molded body 11 is molded. Further, the recessed portion 14 is formed by the resin material r that has flowed between the outer peripheral surface of the positioning protrusion 212 and the second mold 220.

[0031] After the resin material r is solidified and the molded body 11 is molded, the first mold 210 and the second mold 220 are separated to open the mold (S106). Then, the molded body 11 is removed from the first mold 210, and the spacer 10 is obtained by cutting the portion solidified in the resin supply portion 222.

[0032] According to the method for manufacturing the spacer 10 of the present embodiment, a part of the second porous body 13 is overlapped with a part of the first porous body 12, and the spacer 10 is manufactured by arranging it at a position overlapping with the formation position of the positioning protrusion 212 in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3. Therefore, when the thicknesses of the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 increase due to the addition of a predetermined external factor, the portion of the first porous body 12 that is difficult to restore is supplemented by the overlapping portion 15 of the second porous body 13 to obtain a desired thickness. Thus, since the flow of the cooling water in the depth direction of the recessed portion 14 is restricted, it is possible to manufacture the spacer 10 that can regulate the flow rate and the flow velocity of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path 3 as desired.

[0033] <Modification example> Next, a modified example of the spacer 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c). Note that descriptions of the configurations and effects of the portions common to the first embodiment will be omitted. FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c) schematically show the positional relationships between the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 of the spacer 10 according to the modified example and the recessed portion 14 (the positioning protrusion 212 of the mold 200), and the illustration of the molded body 11 is omitted. Also, on the plane of FIG. 7, the right side is one side in the flow direction of the cooling water flow path 3, and the left side is the other side. Further, on the plane of FIG. 7, the upper side is the upper side in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3, and the opposite side is the lower side. In FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c), the overlapping portion 15 where the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 overlap is indicated by diagonal hatching.

[0034] The first porous body 12 shown in FIG. 7(a) is a rectangular sheet body, and two circular through-holes 12c are provided side by side at intervals along the depth direction. The second porous body 13 has a depth dimension larger than the depth dimension of the first porous body 12 in the depth direction, which is the same as in the above embodiment. However, the second porous body 13 is arranged only on one side in the flow direction of the first porous body 12, and the shape of the second porous body 13 is different from that in the above embodiment. The second porous body 13 shown here has a rectangular main body portion 13A and a protruding portion 13B that protrudes to the other side in the flow direction from the substantially central portion in the depth direction at the end portion 13Aa on the other side in the flow direction of the main body portion 13A.

[0035] The protruding portion 13B of the second porous body 13 is arranged to be positioned between the through holes 12c, 12c of the first porous body 12 and is integrally formed with the molded body 11. Thereby, the overlapping portion 15 of the second porous body 13 is provided between the through holes 12c, 12c of the first porous body 12, and the overlapping portion 15 has a substantially T-shaped lying-down shape as shown in FIG. 7(a). During manufacturing, the positioning protrusion 212 is inserted into the through holes 12c, 12c of the first porous body 12, and after molding, the recessed portion 14 is formed by the positioning protrusion 212. Therefore, in the modified example, the recessed portions 14, 14 are formed at positions overlapping in the depth direction, and the overlapping portion 15 is positioned between these recessed portions 14, 14. Thus, the overlapping portion 15 of the second porous body 13 can push up the first porous body 12 during restoration and restore to a desired thickness as a whole. Therefore, even if there are the recessed portions 14, 14, it is possible to restrict the flow of the cooling water in the vertical direction in the depth direction.

[0036] In FIG. 7(b), the formation positions of the through holes 12c, 12c are provided side by side at intervals along the flow direction of the cooling water passage 3 and are offset to the upper side in the depth direction of the first porous body 12, which is different from the above-described embodiment. The second porous body 13 has an inverted L shape in a side view including a rectangular main body portion 13A and a protruding portion 13B protruding to the other side in the flow direction from the lower part of the end portion 13Aa on the other side in the flow direction of the main body portion 13A. The second porous body 13 is arranged such that the through holes 12c, 12c are positioned above the protruding portion 13B in the depth direction, whereby an overlapping portion 15 is formed below the through holes 12c, 12c in the depth direction. Therefore, also in this modified example, the overlapping portion 15 of the second porous body 13 can push up the first porous body 12 during restoration and restore to a desired thickness as a whole. Therefore, even if there are the recessed portions 14, 14, it is possible to restrict the flow of the cooling water in the vertical direction in the depth direction.

[0037] In FIG. 7(c), the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13, both of which are formed of a rectangular sheet body, are used. The second porous body 13 is formed larger than the first porous body 12. One through-hole 12c is provided at a position offset to one side in the flow direction of the cooling water flow path 3 of the first porous body 12, and one round through-hole 13c is also provided in the second porous body 13 at a position offset to the other side in the flow direction of the cooling water flow path 3. The through-hole 13c of the second porous body 13 is formed to have a larger diameter than the through-hole 12c of the first porous body 12, and the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 are arranged such that these through-holes 12c and 13c overlap in the thickness direction. Therefore, in this case, during manufacturing, the positioning protrusion 212 is inserted into the through-hole 12c of the first porous body 12 and the through-hole 13c of the second porous body 13. In this case, the overlapping portion 15 is provided around the through-hole 13c of the second porous body 13, and the peripheral region of the recessed portion 14 formed inside the through-hole 12c of the first porous body 12 becomes the overlapping portion 15. Therefore, also in this modification, the overlapping portion 15 of the second porous body 13 can push up the first porous body 12 during restoration and restore it to the desired thickness as a whole. Thus, even if there are recessed portions 14, 14, it is possible to regulate the flow of cooling water in the vertical direction in the depth direction.

[0038] <Second Embodiment> Next, the spacer 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 9. Note that the description of the configuration and effects of the parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted. Also, in FIGS. 8(a) and its modified examples FIGS. 8(b)(c), and FIGS. 9(a)(b), the illustration of the molded body 11 is omitted, and the positional relationship between the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 and the recessed portion 14 (the positioning protrusion 212 of the mold 200) is schematically shown.

[0039] The spacer 10 of the second embodiment shown in Fig. 8(a) is different from the first embodiment in that a concave recess 14 is provided at the peripheral edge of the first porous body 12. The first porous body 12 made of a rectangular sheet body is positioned not by inserting the positioning protrusions 212 into the through holes during manufacturing, but by the first positioning protrusions 212A, 212A along the upper corners in the depth direction and the second positioning protrusion 212B along the approximate center in the flow direction on the lower side in the depth direction. The first positioning protrusion 212A is formed in a substantially inverted L shape in side view, and the second positioning protrusion 212B is formed in a rectangular shape extending in the flow direction in side view.

[0040] The second porous body 13 is made of a rectangular sheet body having the same shape and size as the first porous body 12. A part of the upper end 13b in the depth direction is in contact with the lower end of the first positioning protrusion 212A on one side in the flow direction and is arranged to overlap with a part of the first porous body 12 in the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the second porous body 13 is arranged not to contact the second positioning protrusion 212B and has a rectangular overlapping portion 15 in side view. The overlapping portion 15 overlaps with a part of the first positioning protrusion 212A on one side in the flow direction in the depth direction. The first positioning protrusions 212A, 212A and the second positioning protrusion 212B that lock the peripheral edge of the first porous body 12 during manufacturing become the recess 14 after molding. And, among these plurality of recesses 14, an overlapping portion 15 is provided so as to overlap with a part of the recess 14 configured corresponding to the first positioning protrusion 212A located on one side in the flow direction in the depth direction.

[0041] In the spacer 10 of Fig. 8(a), the positioning protrusion 212A is aligned with the upper corner of the first porous body 12 in the depth direction, so that there is a risk that the resin material r may get in between the end face of the first porous body 12 and the positioning protrusion 212A during manufacturing. Then, when the resin material r is impregnated into the end face of the first porous body 12, there is a risk that a part of the end face of the first porous body 12 or its vicinity may not be restored to the desired thickness. Therefore, in the spacer 10 of the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a part of the second porous body 13 overlaps a part of the first porous body 12 and has an overlapping part 15 that overlaps the formation position of the recessed part 14 and the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3. Therefore, even if there is a concave recess 14 formed when the first porous body 12 is positioned during manufacturing, when the thickness of the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 increases as a result of the supply of cooling water to the cooling water flow path 3, the portion of the first porous body 12 that is difficult to restore can be compensated for by the overlapping portion 15 of the second porous body 13 to achieve a desired thickness. Therefore, the flow rate and flow speed of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path 3 can be regulated by the spacer 10. More specifically, even in the example of the second embodiment, the overlapping portion 15 of the second porous body 13 pushes up the first porous body 12 during restoration, so that the first porous body 12 can be restored to a desired thickness as a whole. Therefore, even if there are recesses 14, 14, it is possible to regulate the flow of the cooling water up and down in the depth direction.

[0042] In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, it is not necessary to form the through-holes 12c in the first porous body 12, so the work process for forming the through-holes is not required. Therefore, finishing processing when the through-holes are not completely opened and are partially connected, and hole inspection are not required, and the work can be simplified. In addition, equipment for providing the through-holes in the first porous body 12 is not required, and further, the die does not have a hole portion, so the process can be simplified, and costs are reduced. Furthermore, if the die has a hole portion, the sheet will clog the hole portion, so it is necessary to remove the dust. However, since the die does not have a hole portion, there is an advantage that the trouble of removing the dust from the hole portion of the die when the through-hole is opened is eliminated.

[0043] In the second embodiment, in the first positioning step, instead of inserting a through-hole into the positioning protrusion 212, the peripheral edge of the first porous body 12 is brought into contact with the positioning protrusion 212 (the first positioning protrusion 212A and the second positioning protrusion 212B) and locked and positioned. Except for this step, it can be manufactured in substantially the same manner as the manufacturing method of the spacer 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this step of positioning the peripheral edge of the first porous body 12 with the positioning protrusion 212 (the first positioning protrusion 212A and the second positioning protrusion 212B), the first porous body 12 may be arranged along the positioning protrusion 212 provided in the mold 200 according to the shape of the first porous body 12, and the first porous body 12 can be easily positioned. Also in this embodiment, since the first porous body 12 has a plurality of portions at the peripheral edge held by the plurality of positioning protrusions 212, it is possible to prevent the first porous body 12 from moving under the injection pressure of the resin material.

[0044] <Modification> Next, a modification shown in FIGS. 8(b) and 8(c) will be described. The description of the configuration and effects of the parts common to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 8(a) is omitted. The first porous body 12 in FIG. 8(b) has a cross-shaped shape in a side view having a plurality of concave portions 120 with a shape in which the corners of a rectangular sheet body are recessed and cut out. The second porous body 13 has a rectangular main body portion 13A and a protruding portion 13B in which a substantially central portion in the depth direction protrudes to the other side in the flow direction at an end portion 13Aa on the other side in the flow direction of the main body portion 13A. The protruding portion 13B is formed such that its dimension in the depth direction is smaller than the dimension between the positioning protrusions 212 and 212 arranged in the depth direction.

[0045] In this example, four positioning protrusions 212 are provided, and they are rectangular in a side view extending in the depth direction. More specifically, the positioning protrusions 212 have a depth dimension substantially the same as the depth dimension of the concave portion 120 and a flow direction dimension approximately half of the flow direction dimension of the concave portion 120. The first porous body 12 is arranged such that the four concave portions 120 are respectively along the four positioning protrusions 212. The main body portion 13A of the second porous body 13 is arranged such that a part of one side of the first porous body 12 in the flow direction overlaps in the thickness direction. The protruding portion 13B of the second porous body 13 is arranged to be located between the two positioning protrusions 212, 212 on one side in the flow direction. Also, the end portion 13Aa on the other side in the flow direction of the main body portion 13A of the second porous body 13 is arranged to abut against the two positioning protrusions 212, 212 on one side in the flow direction. Therefore, the positioning protrusions 212 act not only as positioning for the first porous body 12 but also for the second porous body 13. Thus, after molding, a part of the second porous body 13 overlaps a part of the first porous body 12 in the thickness direction and has an overlapping portion 15 that overlaps the two recessed portions 14, 14 on one side in the flow direction in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3. Also in this modification of the second embodiment, the overlapping portion 15 (protruding portion 13B) of the second porous body 13 can push up the first porous body 12 during restoration and restore it to the desired thickness as a whole. Therefore, even if there are the recessed portions 14, 14, it is possible to regulate the flow of the cooling water in the vertical direction in the depth direction.

[0046] Next, a modified example of FIG. 8(c) will be described. The first porous body 12 and the positioning projections 212 in FIG. 8(c) have substantially the same configuration as the modified example of FIG. 8(b). The second porous body 13 is different from the example of FIG. 8(b) in that it is a long rectangular sheet body extending in the flow direction of the cooling water flow path 3, and the dimension in its flow direction is formed to be larger than the dimension in the flow direction of the first porous body 12. Further, the second porous body 13 is formed such that the dimension in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path 3 is smaller than the dimension between the positioning projections 212, 212 arranged in the depth direction, and the second porous body 13 is arranged so as to pass between the positioning projections 212, 212 arranged in the depth direction. Also in this modified example of the second embodiment, the overlapping portion 15 of the second porous body 13 can push up the first porous body 12 during restoration and restore it to the desired thickness as a whole. Therefore, even if there are a plurality of recessed portions 14, it is possible to regulate the flow of cooling water up and down in the depth direction.

[0047] Next, a modified example shown in Fig. 9(a) will be described. The first porous body 12 has a shape having a protruding portion 12d that protrudes toward one side in the flow direction above the depth direction of the rectangular sheet body and overlaps with the formation position of the recessed portion 14 in the depth direction. The second porous body 13 has a concave portion 130 in which the central portion in the depth direction of the end portion 13a on the other side in the flow direction is recessed. During manufacturing, the first porous body 12 is arranged such that the central portions in the depth direction at both end portions 12a, 12a on both sides in the flow direction are along the first positioning protrusions 212A, 212A, and the central portions in the flow direction at both end portions 12b, 12b in the depth direction are along the second positioning protrusions 212B, 212B. The second porous body 13 is arranged on one side in the flow direction of the first porous body 12 such that the concave portion 130 surrounds the first positioning protrusion 212A on one side in the flow direction. The second porous body 13 is arranged so as not to contact the first positioning protrusion 212A and the second positioning protrusion 212B. Here, the second porous body 13 has two overlapping portions that are spaced apart in the depth direction of the second porous body 13 via the concave portion 130, and among them, the upper overlapping portion in the depth direction is an overlapping portion 15a that overlaps with the recessed portion 14 in the depth direction. Therefore, after molding, the overlapping portion 15a that overlaps with the recessed portion 14 and the cooling water flow path 3 in the depth direction can push up the first porous body 12 during restoration and restore it to the desired thickness as a whole. Thus, even if there is a recessed portion 14, it is possible to regulate the flow of the cooling water in the vertical direction in the depth direction. On the other hand, the lower overlapping portion 15b in the depth direction does not overlap with the recessed portion 14 in the depth direction, but since it overlaps with a part of the first porous body 12, it is restored more sufficiently than other portions, so the flow of the cooling water can be regulated. Furthermore, in the central portion in the flow direction of the first porous body 12, the interval between the upper and lower recessed portions 14 is large, and even if the first porous body 12 is restored in a bellows shape, the central portion in the depth direction is sufficiently restored. Therefore, even without overlapping the second porous body 13, the flow of the cooling water in the depth direction can be regulated.

[0048] Next, a modified example shown in Fig. 9(b) will be described. In the first porous body 12, both end portions 12b, 12b in the depth direction are recessed in a triangular shape toward the center in the depth direction. The positioning protrusions 212 are pentagonal in side view along the shape of both end portions of the first porous body 12 in the depth direction, and two of them are provided side by side with a separation in the depth direction. The second porous body 13 has a rectangular shape extending in the flow direction, and the dimension in its depth direction is formed smaller than the interval between the positioning protrusions 212, 212 arranged side by side in the depth direction. The second porous body 13 is arranged such that a part of it overlaps with the first porous body 12 in the thickness direction, and the other part on the other side in the flow direction has an overlapping portion 15 that overlaps with the positioning protrusions 212, 212 in the depth direction. Therefore, the overlapping portions 15 that overlap with the recessed portions 14, 14 and the cooling water flow path 3 in the depth direction can push up the first porous body 12 during restoration and restore it to the desired thickness as a whole. Thus, even if there are the recessed portions 14, 14, the restoration of the overlapping portion 15 can regulate the flow of the cooling water in the vertical direction in the depth direction.

[0049] As described above, the spacer 10 is not limited to the above-described embodiments and those shown in the drawings. In the above-described embodiments, the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 are made of a cellulose-based sponge, but it is not limited thereto, and for example, foamed rubber or the like may be used. In that case, the adhesiveness between the foamed rubber and the resin material r may be improved by applying an adhesive to the surface in contact with the resin material r of the foamed rubber during manufacturing. Further, a plurality of porous bodies may be made of different materials. Also, the shapes of the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 are not limited to the illustrated examples, and the position of the overlapping portion 15 is provided according to the portion where the cooling water is to be regulated and according to the formation position of the recessed portion 14.

[0050] Also, in each of the above-described embodiments, the molded body 11 has a curved shape along the cylinder bore 2, but it is not limited thereto, and it may have a shape corresponding to the cooling water flow path 3 and may be a planar shape. The positions where the first porous body 12 and the second porous body 13 are fixed to the molded body 11 (the positions in the depth direction and the flow direction of the cooling water flow path 3) may be appropriately changed according to the required specifications such as the stability of the spacer 10 in the cooling water flow path 3 or the cooling function of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path 3. Therefore, a plurality of first porous bodies 12 may be provided for one spacer 10, and in FIGS. 7 to 9, one second porous body 13 is provided for one first porous body 12, but a plurality of second porous bodies 13 may be provided. Further, in the second embodiment and its modified example, the positioning protrusion 212 may act as a member for positioning not only the first porous body 12 but also the second porous body 13. Also, the shape of the molded body 11 is exemplified as a semi-cylindrical (half-cut) shape, but it may be a full-cylindrical shape covering the entire circumference of the cooling water flow path 3 or may be provided partially. Needless to say, a known cooling medium such as an antifreeze is used as the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path 3.

Explanation of Signs

[0051] A Internal combustion engine 1 Cylinder block 2 Cylinder bore 3 Cooling water flow path 10 Spacer 11 Molded body 11a One side surface 111 Convex curved surface 12 First porous body 12c Through hole 13 Second porous body 14 Depressed portion 15 Overlapping portion 200 Mold 211a Concave curved surface portion 212 Positioning protrusion

Claims

1. A spacer disposed in a cooling water flow path provided in a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine for regulating the flow of cooling water, comprising: A molded body made of a resin material; A first porous body provided on one side surface of the molded body and having a through hole; A second porous body provided on the one side surface; A concave recess formed inside the through hole on the one side surface; and The first porous body and the second porous body are integrally formed with the molded body by partial impregnation of the resin material, and have a characteristic that the thickness in the thickness direction increases when a predetermined external factor is applied. The spacer is characterized in that a part of the second porous body overlaps a part of the first porous body and has an overlapping portion that overlaps the formation position of the recess in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path.

2. A spacer disposed in a cooling water flow path provided in a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine for regulating the flow of cooling water, comprising: A molded body made of a resin material; A first porous body provided on one side surface of the molded body; A second porous body provided on the one side surface; A concave recess formed at the peripheral edge of the first porous body on the one side surface; and The first porous body and the second porous body are integrally formed with the molded body by partial impregnation of the resin material, and have a characteristic that the thickness in the thickness direction increases when a predetermined external factor is applied. The spacer is characterized in that a part of the second porous body overlaps a part of the first porous body and has an overlapping portion that overlaps the formation position of the recess in the depth direction of the cooling water flow path.

3. In Claim 1 or Claim 2, The molded body has a convex curved surface on the one side surface, The spacer is characterized in that the first porous body is attached to the one side surface of the molded body including the convex curved surface.

4. In Claim 3, The spacer is characterized in that the convex curved surface of the molded body is disposed in a portion formed between a cylinder bore adjacent to a cylinder bore in the cooling water flow path.

5. In Claim 3 or Claim 4, The spacer is characterized in that the first porous body is attached in a curved state along the convex curved surface of the molded body, The spacer is characterized in that the second porous body is disposed so as to overlap both end portions of the first porous body.

6. In any one of Claims 1 to 5, The spacer is characterized in that the overlapping portion is provided between the molded body and the first porous body.

7. In any one of claims 1 to 6, The spacer is characterized in that the overlapping portions are provided on both sides in the depth direction with the recessed portion therebetween.

8. In any one of claims 1 to 7, The first porous body and the second porous body are cellulose-based sponges, The spacer is characterized in that the predetermined external factor is moisture.

9. A method for manufacturing a spacer, which includes a molded body made of a resin material and a plurality of porous bodies having a characteristic of increasing the thickness in the thickness direction when a predetermined external factor is applied, and is disposed in a cooling water flow path provided in a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine to regulate the flow of cooling water, the method comprising: A first positioning step of disposing a first porous body among the plurality of porous bodies using a positioning projection provided in a mold; A second positioning step of disposing a second porous body among the plurality of porous bodies on the first porous body; After closing the mold, injecting the resin material into the cavity of the mold, and integrally molding the resin material with the molded body in a state where the first porous body and a part of the second porous body are impregnated with the resin material, In the second positioning step, a part of the second porous body is overlapped with a part of the first porous body and is disposed at a position overlapping in the depth direction with the formation position of the positioning projection. The method for manufacturing a spacer is characterized by this.

10. In claim 9, In the first positioning step, the spacer manufacturing method is characterized in that a through hole provided penetrating in the thickness direction of the first porous body is inserted into the positioning projection for positioning.

11. In claim 9 or claim 10, In the first positioning step, the spacer manufacturing method is characterized in that the peripheral edge portion of the first porous body is brought into contact with the positioning projection for positioning.

12. In any one of claims 9 to 11, The spacer manufacturing method is characterized in that the positioning projection is provided on a concave curved surface portion of the mold.

13. In any one of claims 9 to 12, The spacer manufacturing method is characterized in that the first porous body and the second porous body are made by forming a cellulose-based sponge into a thin sheet shape.

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