Engine Oil Tank Rear Positioning for Backward Flow Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicles with oil paths disposed in front of the crankcase experience degraded oil recovery efficiency due to backward oil flow during travel.

Innovation Solution

The oil path is made at least partially integral and unitary with the oil tank, which is positioned behind the engine body, ensuring efficient oil recovery even when oil flows backward through the path.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the oil path is disposed in front of the crankcase, then the engine structure is simplified, but oil recovery efficiency is degraded due to backward oil flow during travelling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengine structureVSAvoidoil recovery efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by positioning the oil tank behind the engine body instead of in front, and reverses the oil flow direction in the oil path to flow from front to back. This inversion resolves the contradiction by ensuring that during vehicle travel, the backward oil flow relative to the vehicle becomes forward flow relative to the engine, maintaining efficient oil recovery while preserving structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If the oil tank is disposed in front of the engine, then oil storage is accessible, but oil recovery efficiency is degraded when oil flows backward through the path during travelling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil storage accessibilityVSAvoidoil recovery efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent moves the oil tank from the front to the rear of the engine body and reverses the oil path orientation. This inversion ensures that the oil tank remains accessible for maintenance while the reversed oil flow direction prevents degradation of recovery efficiency during vehicle travel, as the oil now flows in the same direction as vehicle movement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Volume of moving object

If the oil path extends in the up-and-down direction in front of the crankcase, then the lubrication system is compact, but oil recovery efficiency is degraded during vehicle travel

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelubrication system sizeVSAvoidoil recovery efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the oil path orientation and repositions it to extend from the head cover downward to the oil tank at the rear of the engine. This inverted arrangement maintains the compact vertical extension while ensuring that oil flow direction aligns with vehicle travel direction, thereby preserving both compactness and recovery efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS9605570B2Vehicle

Publication Date: 2017.03.28 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle includes a vehicle body and an engine unit. The engine unit is installed on the vehicle body. The engine unit includes a crankshaft, an engine body, an oil tank, and an oil path. The crankshaft extends in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction. The engine body includes a crankcase, a cylinder unit, and a head cover. The crankcase supports the crankshaft. The cylinder unit is disposed over the crankcase. The head cover is disposed over the cylinder unit. The oil tank is disposed rearward of the engine body. The oil path communicates with a space inside the head cover and is at least partially integral with the oil tank.