Engine Oil Pan Load-Absorbing Side Wall Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lower structures for internal combustion engines are inadequate in minimizing the risk of damage to the oil passage during vehicle collisions, as known ribs and protective structures may not withstand large loads effectively.
Innovation Solution
A lower structure with an oil chamber featuring a load-absorbing portion on the side wall that is more deformable than the oil passage portion, combined with a flange protecting the upper end of the oil passage and vertically extending ribs for increased rigidity, along with a device mounting seat and oil passages arranged to reduce the size and enhance protection of the oil passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If reinforcing ribs are provided on the outer side of the oil filter mounting portion, then the strength of the side wall is improved, but the device complexity increases and the ribs cannot withstand large loads effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The side wall is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a thin-walled load absorbing portion adjacent to the oil passage and a thick-walled oil passage portion. This local quality differentiation allows the thin section to deform and absorb loads while the thick section maintains structural integrity and protects the oil passage, resolving the contradiction between strength and complexity by optimizing material distribution locally rather than uniformly reinforcing the entire side wall
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall is segmented into functionally distinct portions: a load absorbing portion with smaller wall thickness designed to deform under impact, and an oil passage portion with larger wall thickness designed to maintain rigidity. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function independently, reducing overall structure complexity while maintaining necessary strength where required
2Stability of the object's composition
If a protective structure is provided in the bottom part of the oil pan, then the loading spread is improved, but the reliability against large loads deteriorates as the structure cannot withstand large loads
Solution Approach 1:
The wall thickness parameter is changed locally to create a load absorbing portion with smaller thickness adjacent to the oil passage. This parameter change enables the thin-walled section to deform preferentially under impact loads, absorbing energy and protecting the oil passage, while the thicker oil passage portion maintains sufficient strength to withstand large loads, thus improving both load distribution and load withstanding capability
3Adaptability or versatility
If the wall thickness of the load absorbing portion is made smaller, then the deformability is improved, but the strength of the side wall deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different wall thicknesses are assigned to different portions of the side wall based on their functional requirements. The load absorbing portion adjacent to the oil passage has smaller wall thickness for high deformability, while the oil passage portion has larger wall thickness for high strength. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing each portion to have the properties it needs without compromising the other
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall is divided into a load absorbing portion and an oil passage portion with distinct thickness characteristics. The segmented design allows the thin-walled section to deform and absorb loads while the thick-walled section maintains structural strength, enabling both deformability and strength to coexist in different locations of the same component
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
The design effectively minimizes damage to the oil passage by absorbing loads through the deformable load-absorbing portion and enhancing the rigidity of the oil passage, reducing the risk of oil passage damage during collisions while maintaining separation from the exhaust pipe.
Implementation Method 1
a part of the side wall adjacent to the oil passage portion is provided with a load absorbing portion (61) configured to be more readily deformable than the oil passage portion
Implementation Method 2
the load absorbing portion is deformed to absorb the load so that damage to the oil passage can be minimized
Implementation Method 3
a flange (24) provided along an upper end of the side wall and configured to abut against a lower end surface of the engine block, wherein the oil passage extends vertically, and has an upper end positioned inwardly of the flange
Implementation Method 4
vertically extending ribs for increased rigidity
Data Source
AI summary
To minimize the risk of damaging an internal oil passage for conducting oil, the lower structure of an internal combustion engine includes a bottom wall (6), a side wall (7) provided along a peripheral edge of the bottom wall to define the oil chamber in cooperation with the bottom wall, a device mounting seat (52) provided on the side wall and configure to have a prescribed device (51) attached thereto; and an oil passage portion (57) formed in the side wall to define the oil passage (56), wherein the oil passage opens at the device mounting seat, and a part of the side wall adjacent to the oil passage portion is provided with a load absorbing portion (61) configured to be more readily deformable than the oil passage portion.