Engine side structure

Abstract

To suppress the breakage of a fuel pipe during the collision of a vehicle.SOLUTION: In a cylinder head 3 at its portion on one side in a predetermined direction perpendicular to both of a cylinder row direction and a vertical direction, there are provided a plurality of intake ports 31 provided side by side in the cylinder row direction, a fuel pump 5 mounted to a side wall part on one side in the predetermined direction of a cylinder block 2, and a first fuel pipe 52 connecting the fuel pump 5 and a fuel rail 51. The face on one side in the predetermined direction of each intake port 31 is a mounted face 32 on which an intake manifold is mounted. In the position of the intake port 31, the first fuel pipe 52 is located between the intake ports 31 neighboring each other in the cylinder row direction and on the other side in the predetermined direction further than the mounted face 32, while extending in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed herein belongs to the technical field relating to engine side structures. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, engines generally have multiple cylinders. The engine has a fuel rail to supply fuel to each of the multiple cylinders. In engines that inject fuel from above the cylinders, the fuel rail is installed in the upper part of the engine to minimize the distance between the fuel rail and each injector.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a fuel rail is disposed above an engine mounted vertically in an engine compartment on the intake side, and the fuel rail is connected to each of the injectors provided for each cylinder by a fuel supply pipe. A fuel pump and fuel pipes for supplying fuel to the fuel rail are disposed on the intake side of the engine. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-132249 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if the fuel pump and fuel pipe are located on the side of the intake side of the engine as in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the intake manifold will be displaced and interfere with the fuel pipe during a vehicle collision. If the intake manifold and fuel pipe interfere with each other, a load will be input to the fuel pipe, which may cause damage to the fuel pipe at the connection between the fuel pump and the fuel pipe.

[0006] The technology disclosed herein has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to prevent damage to fuel pipes in the event of a vehicle collision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the technology disclosed herein includes a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinders arranged in series, a cylinder head provided on the upper side of the cylinder block, and Includes , the upper side of the cylinder head Care The present invention relates to a side structure of an engine in which a fuel rail is disposed so as to extend along a cylinder row direction, and the structure comprises: a plurality of intake ports, which are arranged side by side in the cylinder row direction in a portion of one side of the cylinder head in a predetermined direction orthogonal to both the cylinder row direction and the vertical direction, corresponding to the plurality of cylinders, and which introduce intake air into each of the cylinders; a fuel pump attached to a side wall portion of the cylinder block on the one side in the predetermined direction; and a fuel pipe connecting the fuel pump and the fuel rail, wherein the surface on the one side in the predetermined direction of each of the intake ports serves as a mounting surface to which an intake manifold is attached, and the fuel pipe is located between the intake ports adjacent to each other in the cylinder row direction and on the other side in the predetermined direction of the mounting surface, and extends vertically at that position. The connection between the fuel pipe and the fuel pump is located between the fuel pump and the one side wall of the engine. The structure is as follows.

[0008] With this configuration, the fuel pipe passes through the intake port on the other side of the mounting surface between the intake manifold and the intake port in a predetermined direction, i.e., on the side closer to the engine. Because the portion of the intake manifold that is attached to the intake port is the closest to the engine, if the fuel pipe is located closer to the engine than the mounting surface, the fuel pipe and the intake manifold are less likely to interfere with each other even if the intake manifold is displaced during a vehicle collision. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the fuel pipe during a vehicle collision.

[0010] This configuration minimizes direct interference between the connection and the intake manifold. Furthermore, by shortening the distance between the connection and the engine, the fuel pipe can be extended from a position as close as possible to the engine. This effectively prevents damage to the fuel pipe in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0011] In one embodiment, the fuel pipe may be configured to extend from the position of the connection portion toward the other side in the specified direction, beyond the mounting surface, and then extend upward so as to pass between the adjacent intake ports.

[0012] This configuration allows the fuel pipe to be positioned as close as possible to the cylinder block, even below the intake port, which more effectively prevents damage to the fuel pipe in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0013] In the side structure of the engine, a recess that is recessed toward the other side in the specified direction may be formed between adjacent intake ports near the fuel pump in the cylinder row direction, and the fuel piping may extend upward through the recess.

[0014] This configuration allows the fuel pump and the recess to be as close as possible, and the length of the fuel pipe to reach the recess can be made as short as possible, thereby preventing interference between the intake manifold and the fuel pipe and more effectively preventing damage to the fuel pipe in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0015] Furthermore, when arranging the fuel pipe closer to the engine than the mounting surface of the intake port, it is only necessary to insert the fuel pipe into the recess from one side in the predetermined direction, thereby improving the ease of assembly of the fuel pipe.

[0016] In the engine side structure in which a recess is formed in a cylinder head, a configuration may be adopted in which a recess recessed toward the other side in the predetermined direction is provided at the bottom of the recess.

[0017] This configuration allows the fuel pipe to be located as far away as possible from the mounting surface of the intake port, which more effectively prevents damage to the fuel pipe in the event of a vehicle collision. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] As described above, the technology disclosed herein can prevent damage to the fuel pipe during a vehicle collision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an engine to which an upper structure according to an exemplary embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the engine as seen from the left side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the left side wall of the engine as seen obliquely from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane that passes through the recess and extends in the vertical direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective cross-sectional view taken along a plane that passes through the recess and extends in the vertical direction, as viewed from the lower rear side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom of a vehicle will be simply referred to as front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. When looking from the rear to the front, the left side is referred to as left, and the right side is referred to as right.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows an engine 1 to which an upper structure according to this embodiment is applied. This engine 1 is an in-line six-cylinder engine with six cylinders arranged in line. The engine 1 is placed longitudinally in an engine room so that the cylinders are aligned in the front-to-rear direction. When the engine 1 is placed in the engine room, the left side is the intake side and the right side is the exhaust side.

[0022] The engine 1 has a cylinder block 2 with multiple cylinders, a cylinder head 3 provided on the upper side of the cylinder block 2, and a cylinder head cover 4 (hereinafter referred to as head cover 4) located on the upper side of the cylinder head 3. The head cover 4 is fixed onto the cylinder head 3 with multiple bolts. The cylinder block 2, cylinder head 3, and head cover 4 are made of aluminum alloy.

[0023] The cylinder head 3 has a plurality of (six in this example) intake ports 31 that introduce intake air into each cylinder. The intake ports 31 are aligned in the cylinder row direction and correspond to each cylinder. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a portion of each intake port 31 protrudes to the left from a left sidewall portion 39 (hereinafter referred to as the first left sidewall portion 39) of the cylinder head 3. In this embodiment, each intake port 31 has two passages. An inlet portion 34 for each passage is formed at the left end of each intake port 31. The surface surrounding the inlet portion 34 of the intake port 31, i.e., the left end face of the intake port 31, serves as a mounting surface 32 to which an intake manifold (not shown) is attached. In the following description, the multiple intake ports 31 are referred to, from the front side, as a first intake port 31a, a second intake port 31b, a third intake port 31c, a fourth intake port 31d, a fifth intake port 31e, and a sixth intake port 31f. When there is no need to distinguish between these, they are simply referred to as intake ports 31. As shown in FIG. 1, among the intake ports 31, the first to fifth intake ports 31a to 31e located on the front side have their mounting surfaces 32 connected to each other and adjacent to each other in the front-to-rear direction. On the other hand, the sixth intake port 31f, located on the rearmost side, does not have its mounting surface 32 connected to that of the adjacent fifth intake port 31e. As a result, a head-side recess 33 (see FIG. 2, etc.) recessed toward the right is formed between the fifth intake port 31e and the sixth intake port 31f. The head-side recess 33 is a recess whose bottom is the first left sidewall 39 and whose sidewalls are the rear wall of the fifth intake port 31e and the front wall of the sixth intake port 31f. The bottom of the head-side recess 33 is continuous with the upper and lower portions of the first left sidewall 39 of the head-side recess 33. The bottom of the head-side recess 33 may be slightly recessed (located on the right side) or slightly protruded (located on the left side) relative to the upper and lower portions of the head-side recess 33 in the first left side wall portion 39.

[0024] 1, the head cover 4 has a cover recess 41 in the center in the left-right direction, which extends in the front-rear direction and is recessed downward. To the left of the cover recess 41, an intake camshaft (not shown) for opening and closing the intake valve is disposed in the space between the cylinder head 3 and the head cover 4. To the right of the cover recess 41, an exhaust camshaft (not shown) for opening and closing the exhaust valve is disposed in the space between the cylinder head 3 and the head cover 4.

[0025] A fuel rail 51 is disposed in the cover recess 41 and extends in the cylinder row direction. That is, the fuel rail 51 is disposed above the cylinder head 3 and extends in the cylinder row direction. The fuel rail 51 is a fuel distribution pipe that distributes fuel pumped from a fuel pump 5 attached to the left side of the engine 1 to injectors arranged for each cylinder. Although not shown, each injector is arranged in the recess 41 along the cylinder row direction. Both longitudinal ends of the fuel rail 51 are closed. The fuel rail 51 is supported by a bracket arranged within the cover recess 41. As shown in FIG. 1, a fuel pressure sensor 59 that detects the pressure of the fuel is provided in the front portion of the fuel rail 51. Wiring (not shown) is connected to the fuel pressure sensor 59.

[0026] The fuel rail 51 is connected to the fuel pump 5 via a first fuel pipe 52. The fuel pump 5 is attached and fixed to the left sidewall 29 (hereinafter referred to as the second left sidewall 29) of the cylinder block 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the fuel pump 5 is disposed below the sixth intake port 31f. Therefore, the head-side recess 33 is located near the fuel pump 5 in the front-to-rear direction. When attached to the second left sidewall 29, the fuel pump 5 is inclined upward and away from the second left sidewall 29. A second fuel pipe 54 for supplying fuel to the fuel pump 5 is connected to the fuel pump 5. A connection portion 54a between the fuel pump 5 and the second fuel pipe 54 is provided on the front side of the fuel pump 5.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the connection portion 55 between the first fuel pipe 52 and the fuel pump 5 is located between the fuel pump 5 and the left sidewall of the engine 1 and below the intake port 31. Specifically, the connection portion 55 is located between the fuel pump 5 and the vicinity of the boundary between the first left sidewall 39 and the second left sidewall 29. The connection portion 55 is located at the position of the head-side recess 33 in the front-to-rear direction. The connection portion 55 is inclined upward toward the right. The right end portion of the connection portion 55 is located to the right of the lower end of the mounting surface 32. The connection portion 55 is configured as a flare nut.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the first fuel pipe 52 has a lower inclined portion 52a that extends from the connection portion 55 toward the head-side recess 33, sloping upward toward the right. The lower inclined portion 52a is located below the intake port 31. The left end of the lower inclined portion 52a is located to the right of the lower end of the mounting surface 32. The right end of the lower inclined portion 52a is located to the right of the upper end of the mounting surface 32. In other words, the entire lower inclined portion 52a is located closer to the engine 1 than the mounting surface 32. The first fuel pipe 52 has a vertically extending portion 52b that extends upward from the right end of the lower inclined portion 52a. The vertically extending portion 52b extends upward along the first left sidewall portion 39 within the head-side recess 33, that is, at a position between the fifth intake port 31e and the sixth intake port 31f (see FIG. 2 ). The vertically extending portion 52b extends to the vertical center of the head-side recess 33. The first fuel pipe 52 has an upper inclined portion 52c that extends leftward and upward from the upper end of the vertically extending portion 52b. The upper inclined portion 52c is located near the upper end of the intake port 31 and to the left of the mounting surface 32. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first fuel pipe 52 extends from the upper end of the upper inclined portion 52c to bypass the cylinder head 3 and the head cover 4 from the left side, extends above the head cover 4 to the right side, and then connects to the fuel rail 51.

[0029] A recess 33a recessed toward the right at the position of the upper inclined portion 52c is formed in the first left sidewall portion 39 within the head-side recess 33. This recess 33a is a recess for positioning the upper inclined portion 52c as far to the right as possible, i.e., as far away from the mounting surface 32 as possible.

[0030] Here, if the first fuel pipe 52 is disposed on the side of the intake side as in this embodiment, there is a risk that the intake manifold will be displaced during a vehicle collision, particularly a frontal collision, and interfere with the first fuel pipe 52. If the intake manifold and the first fuel pipe 52 interfere with each other, a load will be input to the first fuel pipe 52, and there is a risk that the first fuel pipe 52 will be damaged at the connection between the fuel pump 5 and the first fuel pipe 52.

[0031] In contrast, in this embodiment, a portion of the first fuel pipe 52, particularly a portion near the connection portion 55 with the fuel pump 5, is positioned between adjacent intake ports 31 in the longitudinal direction and to the right of the mounting surface 32 of the intake ports 31, extending in the vertical direction. In particular, in this embodiment, the vertically extending portion 52b of the first fuel pipe 52 is positioned within the head-side recess 33 formed between adjacent intake ports 31 in the longitudinal direction. This allows the first fuel pipe 52 to pass to the right of the mounting surface 32 of the intake manifold at the intake port 31, i.e., closer to the engine 1. Positioning the first fuel pipe 52 closer to the engine 1 than the mounting surface 32 reduces interference between the first fuel pipe 52 and the intake manifold, even if the intake manifold is displaced during a vehicle collision. This reduces damage to the first fuel pipe 52 during a vehicle collision.

[0032] In particular, in this embodiment, the engine 1 is mounted longitudinally in the engine compartment, and the head-side recess 33 is formed between the sixth intake port 31f, which is located at the rearmost position among the multiple intake ports 31, and the fifth intake port 31e, which is adjacent to the sixth intake port 31f in the front-to-rear direction. This allows the first fuel pipe 52 to be positioned as far rearward as possible, thereby minimizing the direct application of a collision load to the first fuel pipe 52 in the event of a frontal collision.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the head-side recess 33 is formed in the vicinity of the fuel pump 5. This makes it possible to shorten as much as possible the length of the first fuel pipe 52 from the fuel pump 5 to where it enters the head-side recess 33. This makes it possible to prevent the first fuel pipe 52 from interfering with the intake manifold in the event of a vehicle collision, and makes it possible to prevent damage to the first fuel pipe 52 in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connection portion 55 between the first fuel pipe 52 and the fuel pump 5 is located between the fuel pump 5 and the left side wall portion of the engine 1. This makes it possible to minimize direct interference between the connection portion 55 and the intake manifold. Furthermore, by shortening the distance between the connection portion 55 and the cylinder block 2, the first fuel pipe 52 can be extended from a position as close as possible to the cylinder block 2. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent damage to the first fuel pipe 52 in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0035] In particular, in this embodiment, the right end of the connection portion 55 is located to the right of the lower end of the mounting surface 32. As a result, the portion of the first fuel pipe 52 located below the intake port 31 is located to the right of the lower end of the mounting surface 32, i.e., the portion of the mounting surface 32 that is closest to that portion of the first fuel pipe 52. As a result, interference between the intake manifold and the first fuel pipe 52 in the event of a vehicle collision can be more effectively suppressed, and damage to the first fuel pipe 52 can be more effectively suppressed.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first fuel pipe 52 extends from the position of the connecting portion 55 toward the right, beyond the mounting surface 32, and then extends upward to pass between the fifth intake port 31e and the sixth intake port 31f. Even at a position below the intake port 31, the first fuel pipe 52 can be positioned as close as possible to the cylinder block 2. This more effectively prevents the first fuel pipe 52 from being damaged in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0037] In particular, in this embodiment, the lower inclined portion 52a of the first fuel pipe 52 extends from the position of the connecting portion 55 toward the head-side recess 33, inclining upward toward the right. This makes it possible to shorten the length of the first fuel pipe 52 from the connecting portion 55 to the head-side recess 33 as much as possible. As a result, interference between the intake manifold and the first fuel pipe 52 in the event of a vehicle collision can be more effectively suppressed, and damage to the first fuel pipe 52 can be more effectively suppressed.

[0038] In this embodiment, a recess 33a recessed toward the right side is provided in the head-side recess 33. This allows the first fuel pipe 52 to be located as far away as possible from the mounting surface 32 of the intake port 31, thereby more effectively preventing damage to the first fuel pipe 52 in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0039] The technology disclosed herein is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be substituted within the scope of the claims.

[0040] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the first fuel pipe 52 extends in the vertical direction within the head-side recess 33 formed between the intake ports 31 adjacent to each other in the cylinder row direction in the cylinder head 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a hole penetrating in the vertical direction may be provided between the intake ports 31 adjacent to each other in the cylinder row direction, and the first fuel pipe 52 may be arranged to pass through the hole.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the engine 1 is installed vertically in the engine room, but it may be installed horizontally so that the cylinder rows are aligned in the left-right direction. In this case, the front-rear direction corresponds to the predetermined direction.

[0042] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the engine 1 is an engine having six cylinders, but the number of cylinders may be seven or more, or may be five or less.

[0043] The above-described embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, and all modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the claims equivalents are within the scope of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0044] The technology disclosed herein is useful as a side structure for an engine having a cylinder block with multiple cylinders arranged in series, a cylinder head provided above the cylinder block, and a fuel rail arranged above the cylinder head so as to extend along the cylinder row direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 engine 2 Cylinder block 3. Cylinder head 5. Fuel pump 31 Intake port 32 Mounting surface 33a Recess 51 Fuel rail 55 Connection

Claims

1. A side structure of an engine including a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinders arranged in series and a cylinder head provided on an upper side of the cylinder block, and a fuel rail disposed above the cylinder head so as to extend along the cylinder row direction, a plurality of intake ports that are arranged side by side in the cylinder row direction corresponding to the plurality of cylinders and that introduce intake air into each of the cylinders, and that are provided on one side of the cylinder head in a predetermined direction perpendicular to both the cylinder row direction and the up-down direction; a fuel pump attached to a side wall portion on the one side in the predetermined direction of the cylinder block; a fuel pipe connecting the fuel pump and the fuel rail, the surface on the one side in the predetermined direction of each intake port serves as a mounting surface to which an intake manifold is attached, the fuel pipe is located between the intake ports adjacent to each other in the cylinder row direction and on the other side of the mounting surface in the predetermined direction, and extends in the vertical direction at the position of the intake port; a connecting portion between the fuel pipe and the fuel pump located between the fuel pump and the one side wall of the engine;

2. The engine side structure according to claim 1, the fuel pipe extends from the position of the connection portion toward the other side in the predetermined direction, beyond the mounting surface, and then extends upward so as to pass between the adjacent intake ports.

3. The engine side structure according to claim 1 or 2, a recessed portion recessed toward the other side in the predetermined direction is formed between adjacent intake ports in the vicinity of the fuel pump in the cylinder row direction, The fuel pipe extends upward through the recess.

4. The engine side structure according to claim 3, A side structure of an engine, characterized in that a recessed portion recessed toward the other side in the predetermined direction is provided at the bottom of the recessed portion.

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