Insulator fixing structure

Abstract

This insulator fixing structure comprises: an engine body; a first component that is fixed to the engine body by a plurality of attachment points; and an insulator that is fixed so as to be sandwiched between the first component and the engine body. The insulator includes a base part and a foam body disposed in close contact with the base part. The base part is disposed between the plurality of attachment points.

Description

Insulator fixing structure

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fixing structure for an insulator fixed to an engine body.

[0002] Insulators for reducing engine combustion noise have been known for some time, and these insulators are fixed to the engine body by bolts passing through the insulator.

[0003] Japan Utility Model Publication No. 58-32138

[0004] A fixing structure that uses bolts to fix an insulator requires an increased number of bolts to secure the insulator. This increases the number of parts and the amount of work required to fix the insulator. An object of the present disclosure is to provide an insulator fixing structure that can fix an insulator without having to penetrate a fastener such as a bolt into the insulator.

[0005] The insulator fixing structure of the present disclosure comprises an engine body, a first part fixed to the engine body by a plurality of attachment points, and an insulator sandwiched and fixed between the first part and the engine body, the insulator having a base and a foam positioned in close contact with the base, the base being positioned between the plurality of attachment points.

[0006] This insulator fixing structure allows the insulator to be fixed without having to penetrate a fixing tool such as a bolt through the insulator, thereby reducing the number of parts and enabling the insulator to be fixed with high work efficiency.

[0007] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views of an insulator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a fixed state, a first insulator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a second insulator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, II and II-II cross-sectional views of FIG.

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1 , the fixing structure 1 of the insulator 10 includes an engine body 2, an exhaust gas recirculation cooling device (an example of a first part) 4, an engine support bracket (an example of a first part) 6, a flange (an example of a second part) 8 a, a bracket (an example of a second part) 8 b, the insulator 10, and a harness bracket (an example of a third part) 20.

[0010] The engine body 2 includes cylinders in which an air-fuel mixture is burned, generating combustion noise. In this embodiment, the engine body 2 is a cylinder block. Fig. 1 shows the cylinder block as viewed from the side, with the engine crankshaft (not shown) extending in the longitudinal direction of the engine body 2. In the drawings, with the engine body 2 as the reference, the front side is labeled F, the rear side is labeled B, the right side is labeled R, the left side is labeled L, the upper side is labeled U, and the lower side is labeled D.

[0011] The exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4, engine support bracket 6, flange 8a, and bracket 8b are components fixed to the engine body 2 with fasteners such as bolts. In this embodiment, the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 is a device that cools the exhaust gas recirculation device. The engine support bracket 6 is a device for fixing the engine body 2 to the vehicle. The flange 8a is the flange portion of the water pipe. The bracket 8b is a bracket for fixing the air conditioner compressor.

[0012] The exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 and the engine support bracket 6 are fixed to the engine body 2 at a plurality of attachment points. In this embodiment, the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 is fixed to at least two points, namely, boss 2a and boss 2b extending from the engine body 2. In this embodiment, the engine support bracket 6 is fixed to at least two points, namely, boss 2c and boss 2d extending from the engine body 2.

[0013] The insulator 10 is a component for attenuating engine combustion noise and is sandwiched and fixed between the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4, the engine support bracket 6, the flange 8 a, and the bracket 8 b and the engine body 2.

[0014] The insulator 10 includes a first insulator 10a and a second insulator 10b disposed below the first insulator 10a.

[0015] 2 and 3, the insulator 10 has a base 12 and a foam 14 arranged in close contact with the base 12. The foam 14 is provided so as to cover at least a portion of the periphery of the base 12. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the first insulator 10a has a first base 13 and a first foam 14a arranged in close contact with the first base 13. As shown in Fig. 3, the second insulator 10b has a second base 16 and a second foam 14b arranged in close contact with the second base 16.

[0016] In this embodiment, the first base 13 and the second base 16 are plate-shaped resin plates. However, the first base 13 and the second base 16 may be metal plates or the like. The first foam 14a and the second foam 14b are urethane foam. The first insulator 10a and the second insulator 10b are formed by foaming and curing the foam 14 on the base 12.

[0017] 2 , the first base 13 has a first through hole 13a and a plurality of recesses 13b. The first through hole 13a functions as a hole through which the first foam 14a in a liquid state passes during manufacturing of the first insulator 10a and flows from the surface of the first base 13 facing the engine body 2 to the surface facing the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4. The first through hole 13a also appropriately weakens the rigidity of the first base 13, thereby reducing the possibility of creaking noise caused by vibration of the first base 13 and damage to the first base 13 due to the creaking when the first base 13 is fixed to the engine body 2.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1 , the first base 13 is disposed between the bosses 2a and 2b when the first insulator 10a is fixed to the engine body 2. As shown in FIG. 4 , by disposing the first base 13 in this manner, the first insulator 10a is tightly sandwiched between the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 and the engine body 2. As a result, the first insulator 10a is sandwiched and fixed between the engine body 2 and the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4. This reduces the number of parts, such as bolts, required to secure the first insulator 10a. Furthermore, since the first insulator 10a can be secured when the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 is secured, work efficiency is improved. The first through-hole 13a is provided in a portion of the first insulator 10a located between the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 and the engine body 2. That is, a portion of the first insulator 10a between the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 and the engine body 2 where the first base 13 is not present is provided.

[0019] Furthermore, the first foam 14a extends on the surface of the first insulator 10a on the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 side of the portion of the first insulator 10a that is sandwiched between the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 and the engine body 2. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 when the first insulator 10a is sandwiched.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1 , the recess 13b is shaped to conform to the bosses 2a and 2b. This allows the first insulator 10a to be positioned on the engine body 2 by fitting the recess 13b into the bosses 2a and 2b. In this embodiment, the bosses 2a and 2b are aligned in the front-rear direction and protrude cylindrically from the engine body 2 in the left-right direction. The first base 13 extends between the bosses 2a and 2b, and the recess 13b is recessed in the front-rear direction along the circumferential shape of the bosses 2a and 2b. In this embodiment, the first foam 14a around the recess 13b is also recessed in the front-rear direction along the circumferential shape of the bosses 2a and 2b, and the first foam 14a extends above and below the bosses 2a and 2b.

[0021] The first insulator 10a is fixed by being sandwiched between the engine body 2 and the first flange 8a in a region other than the region where the first base portion 13 extends. In this way, the first base portion 13 is not present between the flange 8a and the engine body 2, and the first foam 14a is sandwiched and fixed, which enables fine positional adjustment when attaching the first insulator 10a. The portion of the first insulator 10a that is sandwiched between the engine body 2 and the first flange 8a is preferably provided at an end of the first insulator 10a.

[0022] 3, the second base 16 has a second through hole 16a and a recess 16b. The second through hole 16a functions as a hole through which the second foam 14b in a liquid state passes during manufacturing of the second insulator 10b, and through which the second foam 14b flows from the surface of the second base 16 facing the engine body 2 to the surface facing the engine support bracket 6. The second through hole 16a also appropriately weakens the rigidity of the second base 16, thereby reducing the possibility of creaking noise caused by vibration of the second base 16 when the second base 16 is fixed to the engine body 2, and of damage to the second base 16 due to the creaking.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1 , the second base portion 16 is disposed between the bosses 2c and 2d when the second insulator 10b is fixed to the engine body 2. By disposing the second base portion 16 in this manner, the second insulator 10b is tightly sandwiched between the engine support bracket 6 and the engine body 2. As a result, the second insulator 10b is sandwiched and fixed between the engine body 2 and the engine support bracket 6. This reduces the number of parts, such as bolts, required to secure the second insulator 10b. Furthermore, since the second insulator 10b can also be secured when the engine support bracket 6 is secured, work efficiency is improved. The second through-hole 16a is provided in a portion of the second insulator 10b that is located between the engine support bracket 6 and the engine body 2. That is, a portion of the second insulator 10b that is not provided with the second base portion 16 is provided between the engine support bracket 6 and the engine body 2.

[0024] Although not shown, similar to the first insulator 10a, the second foam 14b extends on the surface of the second insulator 10b facing the engine support bracket 6 at a portion of the second insulator 10b that is sandwiched between the engine support bracket 6 and the engine body 2. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the engine support bracket 6 when the second insulator 10b is sandwiched.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1 , the recess 16b is shaped to fit the boss 2e. This allows the second insulator 10b to be positioned in the engine body 2 by fitting the recess 16b into the boss 2e. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 , the second base 16 has a plurality of recesses 16c and 16d. The recess 16c is shaped to fit the boss 2f. The recess 16d is shaped to fit the boss 2g. This further facilitates positioning of the second insulator 10b. In this embodiment, the bosses 2c and 2d are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and the bosses 2f and 2g are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. The bosses 2c, 2d, 2f, and 2g each have a cylindrical shape that protrudes from the engine body 2 in the left-right direction, and the boss 2e protrudes from the engine body 2 in the left-right direction below the boss 2g in the shape of a rectangular prism. The second base portion 16 extends between bosses 2c and 2d, between bosses 2f and 2g, and between bosses 2g and 2e. The recess 16d corresponding to boss 2c is recessed downward along the circumferential shape of boss 2c, the recess 16d corresponding to boss 2e is recessed upward along the circumferential shape of boss 2e, and the recesses corresponding to bosses 2f and 2g are recessed downward along the circumferential shape of bosses 2f and 2g.

[0026] 1, the second insulator 10b is sandwiched and fixed between the engine body 2 and the bracket 8b in an area other than the area where the second base portion 16 extends. In this way, the second base portion 16 is not present between the bracket 8b and the engine body 2, and the second foam body 14b is sandwiched and fixed, which enables fine positional adjustment when attaching the second insulator 10b. The portion of the second insulator 10b sandwiched between the engine body 2 and the bracket 8b is preferably provided at an end of the second insulator 10b.

[0027] The fixing structure 1 for the insulator 10 further includes an overlapping region 18 where the first insulator 10a and the second insulator 10b overlap.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 5 , the first base 13 of the first insulator 10a extends downward to the overlapping region 18. The second base 16 of the second insulator 10b extends upward to the overlapping region 18. However, the first base 13 and the second base 16 do not extend to a position where they overlap each other. In this embodiment, the portion of the first base 13 that extends to the overlapping region 18 is shifted in the front-rear direction from the portion of the second base 16 that extends to the overlapping region 18. The second foam 14b is positioned to cover the portion of the first base 13 that extends to the overlapping region 18 from the side opposite the engine body 2, and the portion of the second base 16 that extends to the overlapping region 18 is positioned to cover the first foam 14a from the side opposite the engine body 2. The overlapping region 18 is sandwiched between the engine body 2 and the harness bracket 20 attached to the boss 2h. Since the first base portion 13 and the second base portion 16 do not overlap in this manner, resonance between the first base portion 13 and the second base portion 16 is suppressed.

[0029] As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a fixing structure 1 for an insulator 10 that can fix the insulator 10 without using fasteners such as bolts.

[0030] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. In particular, the multiple modifications described in this specification can be combined as needed.

[0031] (a) In the above embodiment, the first component is described using the exhaust gas recirculation cooling device 4 and the engine support bracket 6 as examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to these. The first component is not limited to these components, and may be any component that is fixed to the engine body 2.

[0032] (b) In the above embodiment, the flange 8 a and the bracket 8 b are described as examples of the second component, but the present disclosure is not limited to these. The second component is not limited to these components, and may be any component that is fixed to the engine body 2.

[0033] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0034] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2024-9865) filed on January 26, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0035] 1: Fixing structure 2: Engine body 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g: Bosses 4: Exhaust gas recirculation cooling device (an example of a first part) 6: Engine support bracket (an example of a first part) 8a: Flange (an example of a second part), 8b: Bracket (an example of a second part) 10: Insulator 10a: First insulator, 10b: Second insulator 12: Base 13: First base 13a: First through-hole 13b: Recess 14: Foam 14a: First foam 14b: Second foam 16: Second base 16a: Second through-hole 16b, 16c, 16d: Recess 18: Overlapping region

Claims

1. An engine body, a first component fixed to the engine body by a plurality of attachment points, and an insulator sandwiched and fixed between the first component and the engine body, wherein the insulator has a base portion and a foam body disposed in close contact with the base portion, and the base portion is disposed between the plurality of attachment points, a fixing structure of the insulator.

2. The fixing structure of the insulator according to claim 1, wherein the foam body extends on the surface on the first component side of the portion of the insulator sandwiched between the first component and the engine body.

3. The fixing structure of the insulator according to claim 1, wherein the base portion has a through hole.

4. The engine body has a boss portion, and the base portion has a recess having a shape along the boss portion. The fixing structure of the insulator according to claim 1.

5. Further comprising a second component different from the first component, wherein the insulator is sandwiched and fixed between the engine body and the second component in a region other than the region where the base portion extends. The fixing structure of the insulator according to claim 1.

6. The insulator includes a first insulator and a second insulator disposed below the first insulator, and further includes an overlapping region where the first insulator and the second insulator are disposed overlappingly. The fixing structure of the insulator according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The first base portion of the first insulator extends to the overlapping region, the second base portion of the second insulator extends to the overlapping region, and the first base portion and the second base portion do not overlap. The fixing structure of the insulator according to claim 6.

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