Engine

Abstract

To prevent a water jacket spacer, a gasket and a cylinder head from being combined for a cylinder block in a wrong combination.SOLUTION: A water jacket spacer 20 has a protrusion 26 which protrudes from a cylinder block 10 while being inserted inside the water jacket 16. A first gasket and a first cylinder head have escape parts 36 and 46 respectively which allow the protrusion 26 to escape so as to allow assembling to the cylinder block 10 while the water jacket spacer 20 is inserted, and at least either of a second gasket 30a different from the first gasket and a second cylinder head 40a different from the first cylinder head interferes with the protrusion 26 such that assembling to the cylinder block 10 while the water jacket spacer 20 is inserted inside the water jacket 16 is regulated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an engine.

Background Art

[0002] An engine is known in which a gasket and a cylinder head are assembled to a cylinder block having a water jacket (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, a water jacket spacer may be inserted into the water jacket of the cylinder block (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When assembling a plurality of types of engines on the same assembly line, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of types of water jacket spacers, a plurality of types of gaskets, and a plurality of types of cylinder heads. In this case, there is a risk that a water jacket spacer, a gasket, and a cylinder head having a combination different from the desired water jacket spacer, gasket, and cylinder head may be erroneously assembled to the cylinder block.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an engine that prevents a water jacket spacer, a gasket, and a cylinder head having an incorrect combination from being assembled to a cylinder block.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The above object isIt has four cylinder bores arranged in a predetermined direction and is a groove-shaped flow path surrounding the four cylinder bores A cylinder block having a water jacket, and the of the cylinder block is inserted into the water jacket, curving along one side surface of one of the four cylinder bores and facing the one side surface a water jacket spacer, a first gasket and a first cylinder head assembled to the cylinder block, wherein the water jacket spacer has a protruding portion protruding from the cylinder block while being inserted into the of the cylinder block water jacket, and each of the first gasket and the first cylinder head has a relief portion for allowing the protruding portion to escape so as to allow assembly to the cylinder block with the water jacket spacer inserted into the of the cylinder block water jacket, and at least one of a second gasket different from the first gasket and a second cylinder head different from the first cylinder head interferes with the protruding portion so that assembly to the cylinder block with the water jacket spacer inserted into the of the cylinder block water jacket is restricted. and the first gasket and the first cylinder head have a plurality of pairs of communication ports that communicate the water jacket of the cylinder block with the water jacket formed in the first cylinder head. The plurality of pairs of communication ports are provided at positions corresponding to each of the four cylinder bores. The cooling water in the water jacket of the cylinder block flows into the water jacket of the first cylinder head through the plurality of pairs of communication ports, Each of the relief portions of the first gasket and the first cylinder head is one pair of a communication port, among the plurality of pairs of communication ports, the cooling water in the water jacket can flow into the water jacket of the first cylinder head through the gap between the pair of communication ports into which the protrusion is inserted and the protrusion, which can be achieved by an engine.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an engine that prevents an incorrect combination of a water jacket spacer, a gasket, and a cylinder head from being assembled to a cylinder block.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an engine 1. The engine 1 includes a cylinder block 10, a water jacket spacer (hereinafter referred to as a WJ spacer) 20, a gasket 30, and a cylinder head 40. In the Z direction, the cylinder block 10, the gasket 30, and the cylinder head 40 are stacked and fastened in this order from the bottom. The WJ spacer 20 is an example of a first water jacket spacer. The gasket 30 is an example of a first gasket. The cylinder head 40 is an example of a first cylinder head.

[0011] The cylinder block 10 is die-cast, for example, from an aluminum alloy. The cylinder block 10 is formed with a cylinder bore 12, a bolt hole 14, and a water jacket (hereinafter referred to as a WJ) 16. The four cylinder bores 12 are arranged in the X direction. The WJ 16 is a groove-shaped flow path surrounding the four cylinder bores 12. Cooling water is introduced into the WJ 16 from an inlet (not shown). A plurality of bolt holes 14 are formed around the WJ 16.

[0012] The WJ spacer 20 is a member inserted into the WJ 16 of the cylinder block 10 and is formed, for example, of resin or the like. The WJ spacer 20 has a main body portion 22 curved along one side surface of each of the four cylinder bores 12, and a protruding portion 26 protruding in the +Z direction from one end of the main body portion 22. The protruding portion 26 will be described in detail later. By allowing cooling water to flow between the WJ spacer 20 and the cylinder bore 12, the cylinder bore 12 can be efficiently cooled. The WJ spacer 20 is formed to face only one side surface of the plurality of cylinder bores 12, but is not limited thereto. For example, the WJ spacer 20 may be formed in a U shape so as to surround both side surfaces of the four cylinder bores 12.

[0013] The gasket 30 is a member interposed between the cylinder head 40 and the cylinder block 10, and is formed in a thin plate shape, for example, of metal such as metal. The gasket 30 is provided with a plurality of openings 32, a plurality of bolt holes 34, and a plurality of communication ports 36. The plurality of openings 32 are provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of cylinder bores 12 respectively. The plurality of bolt holes 34 are provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of bolt holes 14 respectively. The plurality of communication ports 36 are provided at positions corresponding to the WJ16 of the cylinder block 10. Specifically, the plurality of communication ports 36 are provided at positions overlapping the WJ16 in the -Z direction.

[0014] The cylinder head 40 is formed of a metal such as an aluminum alloy, for example, and is attached to the upper side of the cylinder block 10. The cylinder head 40 is provided with a plurality of openings 42, a plurality of bolt holes 44, and a plurality of communication ports 46. Each of the plurality of openings 42 defines an intake port and an exhaust port. The plurality of openings 42 are provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of openings 32 and the plurality of cylinder bores 12 respectively. The plurality of bolt holes 44 are provided at positions corresponding to each of the plurality of bolt holes 14 and the plurality of bolt holes 34. The plurality of communication ports 46 are provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of communication ports 36 respectively. Therefore, the plurality of communication ports 46 are also provided at positions overlapping the WJ16 in the -Z direction. The gasket 30 and the cylinder head 40 are fastened to the cylinder block 10 by bolts inserted into the bolt holes 14, 34, and 44.

[0015] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the engine 1. Figure 2 illustrates a cross-section perpendicular to the X direction. The cooling water flowing in WJ16 flows into WJ48 of the cylinder head 40 through the communication ports 36 and 46. The protruding portion 26 of the WJ spacer 20 inserted into WJ16 of the cylinder block 10 protrudes in the +Z direction from WJ16 of the cylinder block 10. With the protruding portion 26 inserted into one pair of the plurality of pairs of communication ports 36 and 46, the gasket 30 and the cylinder head 40 are assembled to the cylinder block 10. The tip of the protruding portion 26 is located in WJ48 of the cylinder head 40 communicating with the communication port 46. In this way, since the communication ports 36 and 46 into which the protruding portion 26 is inserted have escaped the protruding portion 26, the gasket 30 and the cylinder head 40 are assembled to the cylinder block 10 without the protruding portion 26 interfering with the gasket 30 and the cylinder head 40. The communication ports 36 and 46 into which the protruding portion 26 is inserted are an example of a relief portion.

[0016] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the engine 1a. The engine 1a includes a cylinder block 10, a WJ spacer 20a, a gasket 30a, and a cylinder head 40a. The cylinder block 10 of the engine 1a is the same as the cylinder block 10 of the engine 1 described above. The shape of the WJ spacer 20a is different from that of the WJ spacer 20 described above. The shape of the gasket 30a is different from that of the gasket 30 described above. The shape of the cylinder head 40a is different from that of the cylinder head 40 described above. The WJ spacer 20a is an example of a second water jacket spacer. The gasket 30a is an example of a second gasket. The cylinder head 40a is an example of a second cylinder head.

[0017] At the upper end of the WJ spacer 20a, a protruding portion 26a protruding in the +Z direction is formed. Compared with the protruding portion 26 of the WJ spacer 20 illustrated in FIG. 1, the protruding portion 26a of the WJ spacer 20a is shifted to the -X direction side.

[0018] The gasket 30a is provided with a plurality of communication ports 36 and one communication port 36a. The communication ports 36 and 36a are provided at positions corresponding to WJ16. The cylinder head 40a is provided with a plurality of communication ports 46 and one communication port 46a. The plurality of communication ports 46 are provided at positions respectively corresponding to the plurality of communication ports 36. The communication port 46a is provided at a position corresponding to the communication port 36a. Therefore, the communication ports 46 and 46a are provided at positions corresponding to WJ16.

[0019] The communication ports 36a and 46a are provided at positions corresponding to the protrusion 26a. The protrusion 26a of the WJ spacer 20a inserted into WJ16 of the cylinder block 10 protrudes from the cylinder block 10 in the +Z direction. With the protrusion 26a inserted into the communication ports 36a and 46a, the gasket 30a and the cylinder head 40a are assembled to the cylinder block 10. That is, the communication ports 36a and 46a are also provided at positions different from the communication ports 36 and 46 into which the protrusion 26 illustrated in FIG. 1 is inserted.

[0020] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a case where the gasket 30a and the cylinder head 40a are to be assembled to the cylinder block 10 with the WJ spacer 20 inserted into the WJ16. As described above, the protruding portion 26 of the WJ spacer 20 is provided at a position corresponding to the communication ports 36 and 46 of the gasket 30 and the cylinder head 40, but is not provided at a position corresponding to the communication ports 36a and 46a of the gasket 30a and the cylinder head 40a. For this reason, the protruding portion 26 of the WJ spacer 20 interferes with the gasket 30a and the cylinder head 40a, and the gasket 30a and the cylinder head 40a cannot be assembled to the cylinder block 10 with the WJ spacer 20 inserted into the WJ16. Also, the gasket 30 can be assembled to the cylinder block 10 with the WJ spacer 20 inserted into the WJ16, but the cylinder head 40a cannot be assembled, and the gasket 30a cannot be assembled either. In this way, incorrect combinations such as the WJ spacer 20, the gasket 30a, and the cylinder head 40a, the WJ spacer 20, the gasket 30a, and the cylinder head 40, and the WJ spacer 20, the gasket 30, and the cylinder head 40a are prevented from being assembled to the cylinder block 10.

[0021] Similarly, for the cylinder block 10 with the WJ spacer 20a inserted into the WJ16, the gasket 30 and the cylinder head 40 cannot be assembled. This is because the protruding portion 26a of the WJ spacer 20a is not provided at a position corresponding to the communication ports 36 and 46 of the gasket 30 and the cylinder head 40, so the protruding portion 26a of the WJ spacer 20a interferes with the gasket 30 and the cylinder head 40. Also, for the cylinder block 10 with the WJ spacer 20a inserted into the WJ16, the gasket 30a can be assembled but the cylinder head 40 cannot be assembled, and the gasket 30 cannot be assembled either. In this way, incorrect combinations such as the WJ spacer 20a, the gasket 30, and the cylinder head 40, the WJ spacer 20a, the gasket 30, and the cylinder head 40a, and the WJ spacer 20a, the gasket 30a, and the cylinder head 40 are prevented from being assembled to the cylinder block 10.

[0022] Next, a method for assembling the engine 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the method for assembling the engine 1. First, the WJ spacer 20 is inserted into the WJ16 of the cylinder block 10 such that the protruding portion 26 of the WJ spacer 20 protrudes from the cylinder block 10 (step S1). Next, the gasket 30 is placed on the upper surface of the cylinder block 10 such that the protruding portion 26 is inserted into the communication port 36 of the gasket 30 (step S2). Next, the cylinder head 40 is placed on the upper surface of the gasket 30 such that the protruding portion 26 is inserted into the communication port 46 of the cylinder head 40 (step S3).

[0023] Next, it is determined whether the combination of the WJ spacer 20, gasket 30, and cylinder head 40 assembled to the cylinder block 10 is correct (step S4). For example, this determination can be made based on the measured value of the clearance from the upper surface of the cylinder block 10 to the lower surface of the cylinder head 40. When the measured value is within the allowable range, the combination can be determined to be correct as illustrated in FIG. 2. When the measured value exceeds the allowable range, the combination can be determined to be incorrect as illustrated in FIG. 4. Incidentally, when it is determined that the combination is correct, the gasket 30 and the cylinder head 40 are fastened to the cylinder block 10 with bolts.

[0024] The above steps S1 to S4 may be performed on the cylinder block 10 being conveyed by, for example, a belt conveyor. Further, steps S1 to S4 may all be performed by an operator, all be performed by a robot, or some may be performed by an operator and the others by a robot. For example, steps S1 to S3 may be performed by an operator, and step S4 may be performed by a computer connected to a measuring instrument arranged on the line, and the computer may notify the determination result.

[0025] The determination in step S4 is not limited to the method described above, and may be performed by a proximity switch whose on / off is switched according to the distance to the cylinder head 40, or may be performed based on the posture of the cylinder head 40 by image recognition.

[0026] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0027] 1, 1a Engine 10 Cylinder block 16 Water jacket 20 Water jacket spacer 26, 26a Protrusion 30, 30a Gasket 36, 36a, 46, 46a Communication Ports 40, 40a Cylinder Heads

Claims

Claims 1. A cylinder block having four cylinder bores arranged in a predetermined direction and having a water jacket which is a groove-shaped flow path surrounding the four cylinder bores, a water jacket spacer inserted into the water jacket of the cylinder block and curved along one side surface of the four cylinder bores and facing the one side surface, a first gasket and a first cylinder head assembled to the cylinder block, the water jacket spacer has a protruding portion protruding from the cylinder block in a state of being inserted into the water jacket of the cylinder block, each of the first gasket and the first cylinder head has a relief portion for allowing the protruding portion to escape so as to allow assembly to the cylinder block in a state where the water jacket spacer is inserted into the water jacket of the cylinder block, at least one of a second gasket different from the first gasket and a second cylinder head different from the first cylinder head interferes with the protruding portion so that assembly to the cylinder block in a state where the water jacket spacer is inserted into the water jacket of the cylinder block is restricted, the first gasket and the first cylinder head have a plurality of pairs of communication ports communicating the water jacket of the cylinder block and the water jacket formed in the first cylinder head, the plurality of pairs of communication ports are provided at positions corresponding to each of the four cylinder bores, cooling water in the water jacket of the cylinder block flows into the water jacket of the first cylinder head through the plurality of pairs of communication ports, each of the relief portions of the first gasket and the first cylinder head is a pair of communication ports among the plurality of pairs of communication ports, an engine in which cooling water in the water jacket can flow into the water jacket of the first cylinder head through a gap between the pair of communication ports into which the protruding portion is inserted and the protruding portion.

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