Lubricant Shower Baffle Plate Engine Oil Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lubricant supply systems for internal combustion engines are complex and costly, leading to increased fuel inefficiency due to excessive lubricant usage, which burdens the engine and pump.
Innovation Solution
A simplified lubricant supply apparatus featuring a lubricant shower and a baffle plate with strategically positioned holes and nozzles that collect and reuse scattered lubricant, reducing the amount of lubricant needed and lowering the pump's discharge rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lubricant is supplied in larger amounts to reduce wear of camshafts and valves, then the lubrication effect is improved, but the loads on the pump and internal combustion engine increase, reducing fuel efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers scattered lubricant by using a baffle plate with through-holes positioned below the camshafts. The baffle plate collects lubricant that scatters from the camshafts and delivers it back to the camshaft rotation axis, enabling reuse of the lubricant and reducing the total amount needed to be supplied by the pump.
2Reliability
If a baffle plate with complex structure is used to deliver lubricant by drops from recessed portions, then lubricant delivery is improved, but the structure becomes complicated, leading to cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The baffle plate is designed with multiple through-holes segmented across its surface, positioned to correspond with the camshaft rotation axis. This segmentation allows lubricant to be delivered at multiple points simultaneously, achieving effective lubricant distribution while maintaining a simple plate structure without complex recessed portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts only the essential function of the baffle plate - to deliver lubricant drops to the camshaft area - and removes unnecessary complex structures like recessed portions. The through-holes provide the required lubricant delivery function with a simpler geometry.
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 apparatus effectively reduces lubricant supply, lowering engine loads and improving fuel efficiency by reusing scattered lubricant, while maintaining a cost-effective and straightforward structure.
Implementation Method 1
The lubricant shower includes a supply port from which a lubricant is supplied to the camshaft
Implementation Method 2
A pump configured to pump (i.e., pressure-feed) the lubricant is driven by the internal combustion engine
Implementation Method 3
the lubricant is delivered by drops from recessed portions of a baffle plate
Implementation Method 4
the lubricant is delivered by drops
Implementation Method 5
When cams provided on camshafts of an internal combustion engine push rocker arms, intake valves and exhaust valves are opened and closed
Data Source
AI summary
A lubricant supply apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a lubricant shower and a baffle plate. The lubricant shower is disposed between a camshaft and a cylinder head cover attached to a cylinder head. The lubricant shower includes a supply port from which a lubricant is supplied to the camshaft. The baffle plate is disposed between the camshaft and the lubricant shower such that a clearance is provided between the baffle plate and the lubricant shower. The baffle plate includes a hole provided at a position at which the hole of the baffle plate overlaps with the supply port of the lubricant shower. The camshaft is provided with a cam. The supply port of the lubricant shower and the hole of the baffle plate are located above the cam.