Engine Cover Drainage Structure for Cooling Water Leakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drainage structures for cooling water in water pumps allow leakage to adhere to engine components, causing appearance deterioration due to precipitate accumulation.

Innovation Solution

A drainage structure with a water pump having a seal member, a drain hole, and a drain passage leading to a covering portion that extends from the engine cover, covered by side and bottom walls to contain and evaporate leaking cooling water.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a drain hole is formed in the water pump to drain leaking cooling water, then the cooling water can be drained from the water pump, but the cooling water adheres to the engine case and cover, causing appearance deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrainage functionVSAvoidappearance deterioration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary component (the cover with drain passage and collection groove) between the drain hole and the engine case. The drain passage guides the cooling water away from the engine case, and the collection groove captures the water before it can adhere to the case surface, thus preventing appearance deterioration while maintaining drainage function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the drainage path from the engine case surface by forming a separate drain passage in the cover. This separates the drainage function from the engine case, allowing the water to be channeled away from the case surface through a dedicated path that does not interfere with the case's appearance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If the drain passage outlet is exposed on the engine cover, then the cooling water can be drained, but the cooling water spreads along the outside of the engine cover and adheres to other components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrainage efficiencyVSAvoidadhesion to components

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent embeds the drain passage outlet within a recessed collection groove on the engine cover. This nesting structure contains the draining water within the groove, preventing it from spreading to other components while maintaining efficient drainage. The collection groove acts as a containing space that captures the water before it can adhere to surrounding parts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Prevents cooling water from spreading and adhering to engine components, maintaining appearance by containing and evaporating leakage, thus concealing water pump leaks.

Implementation Method 1

a covering portion that extends from the lower surface of the engine cover and that covers a space below an outlet of the drain passage... including a side wall that covers the space below the outlet from an outside in a vehicle width direction and a bottom wall that covers the space below the outlet from below

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical containment: Physical Containment

Implementation Method 2

When the engine is running, the cooling water in the covering portion is easily evaporated by the heat of the engine

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 3

the cooling water in the covering portion is easily evaporated by the heat of the engine

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal energy transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS20250243797A1Drainage structure for cooling water

Publication Date: 2025.07.31 SUZUKI MOTOR CORP

AI summary

A drainage structure for cooling water, includes: an engine cover attached to a crankcase; and a water pump attached to the engine cover. The water pump is provided with a seal member configured to seal a pump chamber, and is formed with a drain hole for draining cooling water leaking from the seal member. The engine cover is formed with a drain passage for guiding cooling water from the drain hole to a lower surface of the engine cover, and a covering portion that extends from the lower surface of the engine cover and that covers a space below an outlet of the drain passage. The covering portion includes a side wall that covers the 10 space below the outlet from an outside in a vehicle width direction and a bottom wall that covers the space below the outlet from below.