Intake system component

Abstract

Provided is an intake system component having a cylindrical member. The intake system component ensures sealability where the cylindrical member and the case are assembled together, and allows a molded product to be released from a mold without causing damage to the molded product. The intake system component includes: a case having an opening; and a cylindrical member fixed to the opening. The cylindrical member comprises a pair of flanges extending in the radial direction from an outer surface of the cylindrical member. The pair of flanges, when observed in a cross section taken in the axial direction thereof, are disposed spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance so that the flanges can be assembled with the case. The surface of the opening that abuts either one of the pair of flanges has an inclined surface that inclines toward the one flange.

Description

Intake system component

[0001] The present invention relates to an intake system component, and more particularly to an intake system component that constitutes an intake passage of an internal combustion engine.

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles having an internal combustion engine are provided with a cylindrical intake duct to which intake system components such as a resonator and an air cleaner are assembled. The intake duct is configured separately from the intake system components and is assembled to each intake system component.

[0003] Various methods are known for assembling such an intake duct and intake system components. As shown in FIG. 7, a pair of flange portions 121 extending radially from the outer surface 123 of a cylindrical member 120 such as an intake duct is provided, and an opening 113 of a case 110 is assembled between the flange portions 121. In order to prevent gas passing through the inner peripheral surface 124 of the cylindrical member 120 from leaking from inside the case 110 to the outside of the case 110, the case 110 and the flange portion 121 are adhered with an adhesive 122 to ensure the sealing property of the case 110.

[0004] In addition to such a structure, as shown in Patent Document 1, a first flange and a second flange are integrally formed on a connecting tube, which is a cylindrical member, at an interval corresponding to the thickness of an air cleaner case. A configuration is known in which the first flange is applied to the inner surface of the air cleaner case and the second flange is held by a sandwiching action applied to the outside of the air cleaner case.

[0005] According to such a configuration, by reducing the adhesive, it is possible to suppress the manufacturing cost. Further, by forming at least one of the first flange and the second flange described in Patent Document 1 to be inclined inward, it is also conceivable to enhance the sandwiching action and improve the sealing property.

[0006] Japanese Patent No. 4467076

[0007] However, with a structure in which at least one of the pair of flanges is tilted inward, when molding a cylindrical member with synthetic resin, the tilted flange can cause the flange to be forcibly pulled out of the mold when removing the molded product from the mold. This can lead to problems with the durability of the molded product and the mold itself. Furthermore, simply tilting the flange means that only the corner of the tip of the tilted flange contacts the case, which could potentially cause problems with sealing.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its main objective is to provide an intake system component that ensures a seal at the assembly portion between the case and the cylindrical member, and that does not damage the molded product during demolding.

[0009] An intake system component according to the present invention comprises a case having an opening and a cylindrical member fixed to the opening, wherein the cylindrical member is provided with a pair of flanges extending radially from the outer surface of the cylindrical member, the pair of flanges are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in an axial cross-section so as to be assembled with the case, and the surface of the opening that abuts either of the pair of flanges is provided with an inclined surface that slopes toward the one flange.

[0010] Furthermore, in the intake system component according to the present invention, it is preferable that one flange portion has a greater radial height than the other of the pair of flange portions.

[0011] Furthermore, in the intake system component according to the present invention, it is preferable that one of the flange portions has an R-shape that is continuous with the outer surface of the cylindrical member from the base end to the tip.

[0012] Furthermore, in the intake system component according to the present invention, it is preferable that the flange portion is formed of an elastic material.

[0013] Furthermore, in the intake system component according to the present invention, it is preferable that the inclined surface is formed on at least the outer side of the case.

[0014] Furthermore, in the intake system component according to the present invention, it is preferable that the tip of one of the flange portions is provided with a projection that protrudes toward the inclined surface.

[0015] Furthermore, in the intake system component according to the present invention, the projection preferably has a top portion that contacts the case in an axial cross-section, and the top portion preferably makes point contact with the case in an axial cross-section and line contact surrounding the opening in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis.

[0016] The above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the necessary features of the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also constitute the invention.

[0017] The intake system component according to the present invention has a case assembled to a pair of flanges formed on a cylindrical member, and the assembly portion of the opening of the case has a first inclined surface that is inclined toward the one flange on the surface that abuts against either of the pair of flanges. Therefore, even if the pair of flanges are not formed at an angle, the case can be assembled between the pair of flanges, and sealing performance can be ensured by the wedge action of the inclined surface causing at least one of the flanges to elastically deform outward.

[0018] A perspective view of an intake system component according to an embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1. An exploded view of an intake system component according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional view showing a modified example of an intake system component according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional view of an intake system component according to the second embodiment of the present invention. An exploded view of an intake system component according to the second embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional view showing the assembly structure of a conventional intake system component.

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the invention as described in each claim, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0020] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an intake system component according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1, Figure 3 is an exploded view of an intake system component according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of an intake system component according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the intake system component 1 according to this embodiment is preferably, for example, an air cleaner that filters outside air supplied to an internal combustion engine (not shown). In addition to an air cleaner, it may also be applied to a resonator that silences noise in a predetermined frequency band generated during intake.

[0022] The intake system component 1 according to this embodiment is formed in a hollow shape with an internal space and comprises a case 10 consisting of a bottomed box-shaped case body 12 and a cover member 11 that closes the open end of the case body 12. In addition, an opening 13 is formed on the side surface of the case body 12 into which a cylindrical member 20 is assembled.

[0023] The case body 12 and cover member 11 that constitute the case 10 are preferably made of synthetic resin, and are preferably made of thermoplastic synthetic resin such as polypropylene resin or polyamide resin.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the cylindrical member 20 comprises a cylindrical member body 21 having a through hole in its inner circumferential surface 21b, and a pair of flange portions 22 and 23 extending radially from the outer surface 21a of the cylindrical member body 21. The cylindrical member 20 is made of an elastic material having a predetermined elasticity. The elastic material can preferably be rubber or synthetic resin.

[0025] Furthermore, it is preferable that an inner pipe 30 is inserted into the inner circumferential surface 21b of the cylindrical member 20. It is preferable that the inner pipe 30 is positioned so as to overlap radially with the opening 13 of the case 10 in the axial cross-section of the cylindrical member 20. When gas flows from the inside to the outside of the case 10, it is preferable that the inner surface of the inner pipe 30 is flush with the inner circumferential surface 21b of the cylindrical member 20, or that the inner circumferential surface 21b of the cylindrical member 20 is stepped in the opposite direction to the gas flow.

[0026] The inner pipe 30 can be made of any material as long as it can reinforce the rigidity of the cylindrical member 20, but lightweight metals such as synthetic resin or aluminum alloy are preferably used.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the outer surface 15 of the case 10 has an inclined surface 14 that extends radially from the opening 13 to the cylindrical member 20 so as to surround the opening 13, and that slopes toward the outer flange portion 22 of the pair of flange portions.

[0028] Furthermore, the pair of flanges 22 and 23 formed on the cylindrical member 20 are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the thickness T of the case 10, and have an outer flange 22 positioned on the outer surface 15 side of the case 10 and an inner flange 23 positioned on the inner surface side of the case 10.

[0029] The outer flange portion 22 is formed to be radially taller than the inner flange portion 23. Furthermore, the opposing surfaces of the outer flange portion 22 and the inner flange portion 23 extend approximately perpendicular to the cylindrical member body 21. The base end of the opposite surface of the outer flange portion 22 has a smoothly continuous R-shaped portion 24 with the outer surface 21a of the cylindrical member body 21, and is formed in a tongue shape, gradually decreasing in thickness towards the tip. The opposite surface of the inner flange portion 23 is preferably formed inclined toward the opposing surface.

[0030] In the intake system component 1 according to this embodiment, when the opening 13 of the case 10 is assembled between the pair of flanges 22 and 23 of the cylindrical member 20, an inclined surface 14 is formed on the outer surface 15 of the case 10 so as to surround the opening 13. Due to the wedge action of the inclined surface 14, the outer flange 22 that abuts the inclined surface 14 deforms outward as shown by the dotted line in Figure 3.

[0031] At this time, since the outer flange portion 22 is made of an elastic material, it comes into contact with the inclined surface 14 due to the repulsive force of the outward deformation described above, thereby ensuring a seal between the case 10 and the cylindrical member 20 at the opening 13. In addition, since an R-shaped portion 24 is formed at the base end of the outer flange portion 22, the repulsive force can be reinforced.

[0032] The intake system component 1 according to this embodiment, configured in this way, eliminates undercuts in the flange portion of the cylindrical member 20, thereby ensuring a seal between the case 10 and the cylindrical member 20 without leaving any product damage during molding. Furthermore, since the seal is ensured by the elastic deformation of the outer flange portion 22, the amount of adhesive applied to the joint between the case 10 and the cylindrical member 20 can be reduced.

[0033] Furthermore, since the inner pipe 30 is provided on the inner circumferential surface 21b of the cylindrical member 20, when the cylindrical member 20 attempts to move in accordance with the oscillation of the mating part to which it is attached, the sealing portion in which the pair of flanges 22 and 23 and the inclined surface 14 of the opening 13 come into contact does not move, making it possible to ensure stable sealing performance.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the intake system component 1 according to this embodiment may also have a sealing rib 16 projecting radially from the bottom of the groove between the pair of flange portions 22 and 23. In this case, in addition to ensuring sealing performance through contact between the inclined surface 14 and the outer flange portion 22, the end face of the opening 13 formed in the case 10 comes into contact with the sealing rib 16, thereby complementing the sealing performance and ensuring more reliable sealing performance.

[0035] [Second Embodiment] In the intake system component 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the case described was when the height of the outer flange portion 22, which is located on the outside of the case 10, is higher than the height of the outer flange portion, which is located on the outside of the pair of flange portions of the cylindrical member 20. The intake system component of the second embodiment described below describes an embodiment of the flange portion having a different shape from that of the first embodiment. Note that components that are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

[0036] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of an intake system component according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is an exploded view of an intake system component according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, the intake system component 1' according to this embodiment has a cylindrical member 20' assembled to a case 10 consisting of a case body 12 and a cover member 11. The cylindrical member 20' has a pair of flange portions 22' and 23 extending radially from the outer surface 21a of the cylindrical member body 21. The opening 13 of the case 10 is assembled between the pair of flange portions 22' and 23.

[0038] As shown in Figure 6, of the pair of flange portions 22', 23, the outer flange portion 22', which is positioned on the outside of the case 10, is formed to have a greater radial height than the inner flange portion 23, similar to the intake system component 1 according to the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, the base end of the outer flange portion 22' has an R-shaped portion 24, and the tip has a projection 25 that protrudes toward the inner flange portion 23.

[0039] The projection 25 has a top portion 26 that contacts the inclined surface 14 of the case 10. The top portion 26 makes point contact with the case 10 in an axial cross-section and line contact with the opening 13 in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis.

[0040] In this embodiment of the intake system component 1', the top 26 of the protrusion 25 abuts against the inclined surface 14, so that the repulsive force of elastic deformation can be more reliably applied between the inclined surface 14 and the top 26, thereby improving the sealing performance.

[0041] In the intake system components 1 and 1' according to the first and second embodiments described above, the case in which the inclined surface 14 is formed on the outer surface 15 of the case 10 was explained, but the inclined surface 14 may be formed on both the outer and inner surfaces of the case 10. Also, the inner pipe 30 assembled to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical members 20 and 20' may be removed as needed. Furthermore, the case in which the projection 25 is formed on the outer flange 22' was explained, but the projection 25 may also be formed on the inclined surface 14 on the outer surface 15 side of the case 10. It is clear from the description of the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0042] 1, 1' Intake system component, 10, 110 Case, 11 Cover member, 12 Case body, 13, 113 Opening, 14 Inclined surface, 15 Outer surface, 16 Seal rib, 20, 20', 120 Cylindrical member, 21 Cylindrical member body, 21a, 123 Outer surface, 21b, 124 Inner circumferential surface, 22 Outer flange, 23 Inner flange, 24 R-shaped part, 25 Protrusion, 26 Top, 30 Inner pipe, 121 Flange, 122 Adhesive.

Claims

1. An intake system component comprising a case having an opening and a cylindrical member fixed to the opening, wherein the cylindrical member comprises a pair of flanges extending radially from the outer surface of the cylindrical member, the pair of flanges are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in an axial cross-section so as to be assembled with the case, and the surface of the opening that abuts either of the pair of flanges comprises an inclined surface that slopes toward the one flange.

2. An intake system component according to claim 1, characterized in that one flange portion has a greater radial height than the other of the pair of flange portions.

3. An intake system component according to claim 1, characterized in that one flange portion has an R shape that is continuous with the outer surface of the cylindrical member from the base end to the tip.

4. An intake system component according to claim 1, characterized in that the flange portion is formed of an elastic material.

5. An intake system component according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined surface is formed on at least the outer side of the case.

6. An intake system component according to claim 1, characterized in that the tip of one flange portion is provided with a projection that protrudes toward the inclined surface.

7. An intake system component according to claim 6, wherein the projection has a top that contacts the case in an axial cross-section, and the top contacts the case at a point in the axial cross-section and makes line contact with the opening in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis.

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