Vehicle engine structure

Abstract

This engine 1 is provided with an auxiliary machine such as a fuel pump 6 that is mounted on a front part of a vehicle and is adjacent to and supported by a left side wall surface 3 of a cylinder block 2. A belt 12 for transmitting a driving power to the auxiliary machine is disposed on a front surface of the cylinder block 2. The engine 1 includes: an idler pulley 15 that protrudes leftward from the left side wall surface 3 of the cylinder block 2, and that is disposed in front of the auxiliary machine and guides the belt 12; and a pulley bracket 20 having a support part 22 that rotatably supports the idler pulley 15, a body part 21 that is fixed to the left side wall surface 3, and a rib 35 extending rearward along the body part 21 from a rear surface of the support part 22. The body part 21 and the cylinder block 2 are respectively fixed at positions so as to sandwich the rib 35 from above and below.

Description

Vehicle engine structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting structure for an idle pulley of an engine.

[0002] Vehicle engines are equipped with various accessories such as a fuel pump and an alternator. Many of these accessories are located near the engine and supported by the engine body. For example, the alternator receives power from the crankshaft via a belt that runs along one side of the engine body. The engine is equipped with an idle pulley that guides the belt between the crankshaft and a pulley on the accessory's drive shaft, as well as a tensioner pulley that applies tension to the belt.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an idle pulley that guides a belt that transmits power from the crankshaft to accessories. The engine described in Patent Document 1 is a transversely mounted engine in which the crankshaft is disposed so as to extend in the vehicle width direction, and the idle pulley is supported by a pulley bracket fixed to the front wall surface of the engine body.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-266381

[0005] In a longitudinally mounted engine in which the crankshaft is arranged to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, accessories such as a fuel pump and an alternator are often provided along the side surface of the engine body in the vehicle width direction.

[0006] In a longitudinally mounted engine mounted at the front of a vehicle, the impact load of a collision object is borne by the engine body, which has a relatively high strength, thereby minimizing damage to accessories located on the side. However, if an offset collision occurs from the front of the vehicle and the impact object moves rearward near the side of the engine body, the impact object may not hit the engine body but may hit accessories located on the side, damaging the accessories. There is a strong demand for preventing damage to fuel-related accessories such as fuel pumps, even in such an offset collision.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a structure for a vehicle engine that suppresses damage to accessories in the event of an offset collision.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the structure of a vehicle engine of the present invention is an engine that is mounted at the front of a vehicle and has accessories supported adjacent to one side of the engine main body in the vehicle width direction, and a belt that transmits driving power to at least one of the accessories is arranged on the front surface of the engine main body, and the structure comprises: a pulley that is arranged on the one side of the engine main body and forward of the accessories and guides the belt; and a pulley bracket that attaches the pulley to the engine main body, wherein the pulley bracket has: a bracket main body that is attached to a side wall surface on the one side of the engine main body; a pulley support that extends from the bracket main body to the one side and supports the pulley rotatably; a first rib that extends from the pulley support along the bracket main body and connects the pulley support and the bracket main body; and a plurality of mounting portions provided at positions that sandwich the first rib from above and below, and the bracket main body is fixed to the engine main body by the plurality of mounting portions.

[0009] In the vehicle engine structure of the present invention, the pulley and pulley bracket located on the front surface of the engine body are arranged to protrude to one side beyond the side wall surface of the engine body in front of the accessories, so that in an offset collision, a colliding object will collide with the pulley and pulley bracket before colliding with the accessories. As a result, the collision load of the colliding object is transmitted to the engine body via the pulley and pulley bracket, causing the engine body to move backward together with the accessories, thereby preventing the colliding object from colliding with the accessories. Furthermore, the pulley bracket has a first rib extending from the pulley support portion along the bracket body, and the bracket body and the engine body are fixed at positions sandwiching the first rib above and below, so that the collision load received by the pulley support portion can be efficiently transmitted to the engine body, urging the engine body to move backward, effectively preventing the colliding object from colliding with the accessories.

[0010] 1 is an outline view of a vehicle engine employing the structure of a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a left side view of the pulley bracket of the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a front view of the pulley bracket of the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a top view of the pulley bracket of the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a right side view of the pulley bracket of the first embodiment; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fixing portion of the pulley bracket of the first embodiment, as seen from the left front of the vehicle; FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a collision position of a colliding object with the engine during an offset collision; FIG. 8 is an outline view of a vehicle engine employing the accessory mounting structure of a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a left side view of the pulley bracket of the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a front view of the pulley bracket of the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a top view of the pulley bracket of the second embodiment; FIG. 12 is a right side view of the pulley bracket of the second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the fixing portion of the pulley bracket of the second embodiment, as seen from the left front of the vehicle;

[0011] An embodiment of a vehicle engine structure embodying the present invention will now be described. The structure of the present invention is applied to an engine mounted longitudinally on a vehicle, i.e., an engine disposed so that the crankshaft extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0012] First, the structure of a vehicle engine according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The following description will be given using the direction of the engine 1 when it is mounted on a vehicle. Figure 1 is an external view of the engine 1 employing the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view seen from the front left of the vehicle.

[0013] 1, the engine 1 of the first embodiment has accessories such as an alternator 5, a fuel pump 6, and an oil filter 7 mounted on the left side in the vehicle width direction (on one side in the vehicle width direction) along a cylinder block 2, which is the engine main body, and a left wall surface 3 of a cylinder head. These accessories are each supported on the cylinder block 2 by brackets or the like.

[0014] The alternator 5 is located at the top of the left side wall 3, and the fuel pump 6 is located in the center of the left side wall 3, below the alternator 5. An oil filter 7 is located at the bottom of the left side wall 3. The front end of a crankshaft 9 protrudes from the front wall of the cylinder block 2, and a pulley 10 is fixed to this front end.

[0015] A pulley 11 is fixed to the end of the input shaft of the alternator 5. A belt 12 for driving the alternator 5 is wound between the pulleys 10 and 11. An idler pulley 15 and a tensioner pulley 16 are also supported on the cylinder block 2. The idler pulley 15 and the tensioner pulley 16 are located to the left of the pulley 10 in the vehicle width direction and below the pulley 11.

[0016] Pulley 10, pulley 11, idler pulley 15, and tensioner pulley 16 are all located at approximately the same distance forward from the front surface of the cylinder block 2 and cylinder head, but in this embodiment, the engine 1 is tilted rearward as it moves upward, so the lower the pulley, the more forward it is located. Therefore, the idler pulley 15 is located forward of the tensioner pulley 16 and pulley 11.

[0017] The idler pulley 15 has an axis aligned in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and is located to the left of the left wall surface 3 of the cylinder block 2 in the vehicle width direction. The idler pulley 15 is supported on the left wall surface 3 of the cylinder block 2 by a pulley bracket 20.

[0018] The pulleys 10, 11, idler pulley 15, tensioner pulley 16, and belt 12 are housed in a case 17 fixed to the front of the cylinder block 2. The case 17 is firmly fixed to the cylinder block 2 with a plurality of bolts or the like (not shown).

[0019] 2 to 5 are diagrams showing the shape of the pulley bracket 20, with Fig. 2 being a left side view, Fig. 3 being a front view, Fig. 4 being a top view, and Fig. 5 being a right side view. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the fixing portion of the pulley bracket 20 as seen from the front left of the vehicle.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the pulley bracket 20 has a main body portion 21 (bracket main body portion) that is fixed to the left side wall surface 3 of the cylinder block 2, and a support portion 22 (pulley support portion) that supports the idler pulley 15.

[0021] The main body 21 is a generally plate-shaped member that is installed along the left side wall 3. The main body 21 is provided with four bolt holes 23, 24, 25, and 26 (mounting portions) into which bolts 45 to 48 are inserted for fixing the main body 21 to the cylinder block 2 and the case 17. The right side surface of the main body 21 is fixed in contact with the left side wall 3.

[0022] Bolt hole 23 is located at the rear end of main body 21, and bolt hole 24 is located at the rear of main body 21 and below bolt hole 23. Bolt hole 25 is located at the front of main body 21, and bolt hole 26 is located at the front of main body 21 and above bolt hole 25. Bolt holes 25 and 26 are located above bolt holes 23 and 24.

[0023] The cylinder block 2 is vertically divided into an upper block 2a and a lower block 2b. The pulley bracket 20 is positioned vertically across the upper block 2a and the lower block 2b, and bolts 45 and 46 inserted into bolt holes 23 and 24 are fastened to the lower block 2b, while bolts 47 and 48 inserted into bolt holes 25 and 26 are fastened to the upper block 2a.

[0024] The support portion 22 is a generally plate-shaped member that protrudes in the vehicle width direction from the upper front end of the main body portion 21, and the main body portion 21 and the support portion 22 are formed in a generally L-shape when viewed from above. A generally annular cylindrical boss portion 27 is provided near the left end of the support portion 22 for supporting the rotation shaft of the idler pulley 15. A shaft hole 28 that rotatably supports the rotation shaft of the idler pulley 15 is provided at the axis of the boss portion 27, and the axis of the shaft hole 28 is set to be parallel to the crankshaft 9. Furthermore, the axis of the shaft hole 28 is set to be to the left of the main body portion 21, and the protruding length of the support portion 22 is set so that, for example, when the pulley bracket 20 with the idler pulley 15 attached to the boss portion 27 is attached to the engine 1, almost the entire idler pulley 15 protrudes to the left in the vehicle width direction beyond the left wall surface 3 of the engine 1.

[0025] On the right side of the main body 21, there are provided bosses 30, 31, 32, and 33 in the shape of circular cylinders that protrude to the right for each of the bolt holes 23 to 26. Of the bosses 30 to 33, the boss 30 provided with the bolt hole 25 protrudes farther to the right from the main body 21 than the other bosses 31 to 33. This is because the left side wall 3 of the engine 1 (case 17) corresponding to the bolt hole 25 is recessed to the right.

[0026] The pulley bracket 20 is also provided with a plate-shaped rib 35 (first rib) that connects the main body 21 and the support portion 22. The rib 35 is provided so as to extend rearward from the rear surface of the support portion 22 between the bolt holes 25 and 26.

[0027] Further, four ribs 36, 37, 38, and 39 are provided on the right side surface 29 of the main body 21, extending from the boss 30 along the main body 21. The rib 36 extends from the rear of the boss 30 toward the vicinity of the boss 31 in which the bolt hole 23 is formed, and the rib 37 extends from the rear of the boss 30 to the boss 32 in which the bolt hole 24 is formed. The rib 38 extends from the top of the boss 30 to the boss 33 in which the bolt hole 26 is formed, and the rib 39 extends forward from the front of the boss 30 to the support 22. The rib 39 extends around to the front surface of the support 22 to be connected to the boss 27.

[0028] A rib 40 extending from the boss portion 31 to the boss portion 32 is provided on the right side surface 29 of the main body portion 21. Furthermore, a rib 41 (second rib) extending from the boss portion 33 to the boss portion 27 along the right side surface 29 of the main body portion 21 and the upper portion of the support portion 22 is provided on the pulley bracket 20.

[0029] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the collision position of a colliding object with the engine during an offset collision. As shown in Fig. 7, in an offset collision that hits the left side of the vehicle width direction from the front of the vehicle, if the colliding object B moves rearward near the left side of the left wall surface 3 of the cylinder block 2, the colliding object B may not collide with the cylinder block 2, but may collide with the accessories (alternator 5, fuel pump 6, oil filter 7) arranged on the left wall surface 3 of the cylinder block 2.

[0030] However, in the engine 1 employing the accessory mounting structure of the first embodiment, the idler pulley 15 located on the front side of the engine 1 is arranged to protrude leftward beyond the left side wall surface 3 of the cylinder block 2, in front of the accessories such as the fuel pump 6. Therefore, the colliding object B collides with the idler pulley 15 before colliding with the accessories such as the fuel pump 6. Therefore, the collision load of the colliding object B is transmitted to the cylinder block 2 via the idler pulley 15 and the pulley bracket 20, causing the cylinder block 2 to move backward together with the accessories such as the fuel pump 6, thereby suppressing the collision of the colliding object B with the accessories.

[0031] Furthermore, the pulley bracket 20 is provided with a rib 35 that connects the main body portion 21 and the support portion 22. This improves the strength of the pulley bracket 20, and prevents the support portion 22 from bending toward the rear of the vehicle relative to the main body portion 21 due to a load applied to the idler pulley 15 and the pulley bracket 20 toward the rear of the vehicle, thereby preventing the idler pulley 15 and the pulley bracket 20 from being unable to withstand a collision load.

[0032] Furthermore, in the pulley bracket 20, the rib 35 is arranged to extend between two bolts 47, 48 that secure the front of the main body 21 to the case 17 that is fixed to the cylinder block 2. Therefore, in the event of an offset collision, the collision load transmitted to the support portion 22 is efficiently transmitted to the cylinder block 2 via the bolts 47, 48, and the auxiliary machinery is protected by the rearward movement of the cylinder block 2.

[0033] Furthermore, the pulley bracket 20 is provided with ribs 39, 41 that extend from the boss portion 27 of the support portion 22 to the boss portions 30, 33 of the main body portion 21, which further improves the strength of the pulley bracket 20 and improves the transmission of a collision load from the support portion of the idler pulley 15 to the cylinder block 2. Therefore, the load received by the idler pulley 15 during an offset collision can be transmitted to the cylinder block 2 more efficiently.

[0034] Of the four bolts 45 to 48 that secure the pulley bracket 20 to the cylinder block 2, the two rear bolts 45, 46 are secured directly to the cylinder block 2, while the two front bolts 47, 48 are secured to the case 17 that is secured to the cylinder block 2. The case 17 is secured to the cylinder block 2 at multiple locations over a wide area.

[0035] This allows the collision load received by the idler pulley 15 and the pulley bracket 20 during an offset collision to be distributed and transmitted efficiently to the case 17 and the cylinder block 2, allowing the engine 1 to be reliably moved backward to protect the accessories.

[0036] The cylinder block 2 is vertically divided into an upper block 2a and a lower block 2b. The rear bolts 45, 46 are fixed to the lower block, and the front bolts 47, 48 are fixed to the case 17 in front of the upper block 2a. Therefore, a collision load received by the idler pulley 15 and the pulley bracket 20 can be dispersed and transmitted to the upper block 2a and the lower block 2b of the cylinder block 2, allowing the collision load to be transmitted more efficiently over a wide area of ​​the cylinder block 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 , the oil filter 7 is disposed below the pulley bracket 20 and is fixed to the cylinder block 2 with an upward inclination toward the rear. Accordingly, the upper surface of the attachment portion 7a (oil filter attachment portion) between the oil filter 7 and the cylinder block 2 also inclines upward toward the rear. The rear lower end surface of the main body 21 of the pulley bracket 20 is inclined upward toward the rear and is disposed substantially parallel to, and spaced apart from, the upper surface of the attachment portion 7a of the oil filter 7.

[0037] Therefore, even if the pulley bracket 20 moves rearward due to a collision load acting on the pulley bracket 20 during a collision, it is possible to prevent a collision between the lower rear end of the pulley bracket 20 and the mounting portion of the oil filter 7, and even if a collision occurs, it is possible to reduce the collision load acting on the mounting portion of the oil filter 7 and prevent damage to the mounting portion 7a of the oil filter 7. By preventing damage to the mounting portion 7a of the oil filter 7, it is possible to prevent deformation of the cylinder block 2 behind the pulley bracket 20 and prevent the pulley bracket 20 from moving backward.

[0038] Next, an accessory mounting structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 17. Figure 8 is an external view of an engine 1 employing the accessory mounting structure according to the second embodiment, as seen from the front left of the vehicle.

[0039] 9 to 12 are views showing the shape of the pulley bracket 50, with FIG. 9 being a left side view, FIG. 10 being a front view, FIG. 11 being a top view, and FIG. 12 being a right side view. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the fixing portion of the pulley bracket 50 as seen from the front left of the vehicle. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the fixing portion of the pulley bracket 50 of the second embodiment as seen from above and rearward of the vehicle. In the second embodiment, the shape of the pulley bracket 50 is different from that of the first embodiment. Only the differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

[0040] The pulley bracket 50 of the second embodiment has a protrusion 51 that receives a collision load below the support portion 22. The protrusion 51 is a strength member that protrudes downward and forward from the idler pulley 15. The front surface of the protrusion 51 is a rectangular flat surface that extends in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0041] The pulley bracket 50 is provided with a rib 52 and a rib 53 (third rib) that extend from the rear surface of the protruding portion 51 along the right side surface of the main body 21 and protrude to the left. The ribs 52 and 53 are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction and extend substantially parallel to each other in the front-to-rear direction.

[0042] The bosses 31 and 32 at the rear of the main body 21 also protrude leftward beyond the left wall surface of the main body 21. The rear end of the upper rib 52 is connected to the boss 31. The rear end of the lower rib 53 is connected to the boss 32. The boss 32 extends upward and connects to the underside of the rib 52.

[0043] Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the pulley bracket 50 as seen from the rear right of the vehicle. Fig. 16 is a view of the fixing portion of the pulley bracket 50 as seen from the rear. Fig. 17 is a left side view of the engine 1 showing the position of the fixing portion of the pulley bracket 50.

[0044] The rib 36 is located on the right side surface of the main body 21 of the pulley bracket 50 and extends rearward from the boss 30. The rear portion of the rib 36 is provided with a flat abutment surface 54 (first abutment portion) facing rearward. The height of the rib 36 in the vehicle width direction is reduced at the rear portion, and the abutment surface 54 is formed at a step between the front and rear where the height is reduced. The abutment surface 54 is formed so as to abut against the front surface of the upper block 2a.

[0045] A rib 56 extending rearward from the rear surface of the protrusion 51 is provided on the right side surface of the main body 21 of the pulley bracket 50. The rib 56 extends to the boss 32, and is provided with a contact surface 57 (second contact portion) that is a flat surface facing rearward and forward of the bolt hole 24. The contact surface 57 at the rear end of the rib 56 is formed so as to contact the front surface of the lower block 2b (the front surface of the bolt mounting portion of the lower block 2b that corresponds to the boss 32 and protrudes to the left).

[0046] As described above, in the second embodiment, the pulley bracket 50 is provided with the protruding portion 51 that protrudes forward, so that in the event of an offset collision, a colliding object will strike the protruding portion 51 at approximately the same position as the idler pulley 15 or before the idler pulley 15. This allows the collision load to be distributed and transmitted to the idler pulley 15, the support portion 22, and the protruding portion 51, and more efficiently transmitted to the cylinder block 2, moving the engine 1 rearward to protect accessories such as the fuel pump 6.

[0047] In addition, two ribs 52, 53 are provided to connect the protrusion 51 to the boss portions 31, 32, which are the bolt mounting portions of the main body portion 21, so that bending of the protrusion 51 due to the collision load acting on the protrusion 51 is suppressed, and the collision load can be efficiently transmitted to the cylinder block 2.

[0048] The pulley bracket 50 also has contact surfaces 54, 57 that contact the front surface of the cylinder block 2. This allows the rearward collision load transmitted to the pulley bracket 50 during an offset collision to be transmitted from the contact surfaces 54, 57 to the cylinder block 2.

[0049] Furthermore, the abutment surface 54 abuts against the upper block 2a of the cylinder block 2, and the abutment surface 57 abuts against the lower block 2b of the cylinder block 2. As a result, during an offset collision, the load can be distributed and transmitted from the pulley bracket 50 to the upper block 2a and the lower block 2b of the cylinder block 2 via the abutment surfaces 54, 57, and the cylinder block 2 and accessories such as the fuel pump 6 can be moved rearward, preventing the colliding object from colliding with the accessories.

[0050] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the pulley bracket 20 of the first embodiment may be provided with an abutment surface 54 at the rear end of the rib 36, which abuts against the cylinder block 2.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the pulley brackets 20, 50 are installed so as to protrude leftward from the left sidewall 3 in order to protect accessories such as the fuel pump 6 provided adjacent to the left sidewall 3 of the cylinder block 2. However, the pulley brackets 20, 50 may be installed so as to protrude rightward from the right sidewall of the cylinder block 2 to protect accessories provided adjacent to the right sidewall of the cylinder block 2.

[0052] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Engine 2 Cylinder block (engine main body) 2a Upper block 2b Lower block 3 Left side wall (one side) 6 Fuel pump (accessory) 7 Oil filter 15 Idler pulley (pulley) 12 Belt 17 Case (engine main body) 20, 50 Pulley bracket 21 Main body (bracket main body) 22 Support portion (pulley support portion) 35 Rib (first rib) 41 Rib (second rib) 51 Protruding portion 52 Rib (third rib) 53 Rib (third rib) 54 Contact surface (first contact portion) 57 Contact surface (second contact portion)

Claims

1. An engine mounted at the front of a vehicle, comprising an auxiliary machine supported adjacent to one side in the vehicle width direction of the engine main body, and a belt for transmitting driving power to at least one of the auxiliary machines is disposed on the front surface of the engine main body. In the engine, a pulley disposed on the one side and in front of the engine main body and guiding the belt, and a pulley bracket for attaching the pulley to the engine main body are provided. The pulley bracket includes a bracket main body portion attached to the side wall surface on the one side of the engine main body, a pulley support portion extending from the bracket main body portion to the one side and rotatably supporting the pulley, a first rib extending from the pulley support portion along the bracket main body portion and connecting the pulley support portion and the bracket main body portion, and a plurality of attachment portions provided at positions sandwiching the first rib vertically. The bracket main body portion is fixed to the engine main body by the plurality of attachment portions. A structure of a vehicle engine characterized by this.

2. The structure of a vehicle engine according to claim 1, wherein the pulley bracket includes a second rib extending from the pulley support portion to the attachment portion.

3. The engine main body has a cylinder block and a case attached to the front surface of the cylinder block. The front portion of the bracket main body portion is fixed to the case, and the rear portion of the bracket main body portion is fixed to the cylinder block. A structure of a vehicle engine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by this.

4. An oil filter is attached below the pulley bracket on the side wall surface on the one side of the engine main body. The oil filter is provided with an oil filter attachment portion for attaching the oil filter to the engine main body. The upper surface of the oil filter attachment portion extends rearward. The lower end surface of the bracket main body portion is disposed parallel to and spaced apart from the upper surface of the oil filter attachment portion. A structure of a vehicle engine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by this.

5. The structure of a vehicle engine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pulley bracket includes a protruding portion protruding forward from the front surface of the engine main body.

6. The structure of the vehicle engine according to claim 5, wherein the pulley bracket includes a third rib extending from the protruding portion to the mounting portion.

7. The structure of the vehicle engine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pulley bracket has a contact portion that contacts the front surface of the engine main body portion.

8. The engine main body portion includes a cylinder block and a case attached to the front surface of the cylinder block, and the contact portion includes a first contact portion that contacts the case and a second contact portion that contacts the cylinder block. The structure of the vehicle engine according to claim 7, characterized by having.

9. The cylinder block is configured to be vertically divided into an upper block and a lower block, and the bracket main body portion of the pulley bracket is fixed to the upper block and the lower block, respectively. The structure of the vehicle engine according to claim 8, characterized by the above.

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