Plastic Engine Oil Pan Flange Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing engine oil pans made of plastic materials suffer from low stiffness against engine vibrations, leading to deformation of the sealing gasket and compromised durability and sealing performance due to oil leaks.
Innovation Solution
The engine oil pan incorporates a reinforcing rib at the lower portion of the flange portion to increase the structural stiffness, reducing deformation caused by engine vibrations and enhancing the sealing gasket's durability and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a plastic material is used for the oil pan to reduce weight, then the weight is reduced, but the stiffness against engine vibrations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adding reinforcing ribs specifically at the flange portion where the sealing gasket is mounted, rather than uniformly thickening the entire oil pan. This localized reinforcement increases stiffness at the critical sealing area while maintaining the overall lightweight plastic construction of the oil pan body.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining the plastic oil pan material with integrally formed reinforcing ribs that have different geometric properties (higher thickness and structural complexity). This composite approach allows the plastic pan to achieve metal-like stiffness at the flange portion while retaining the weight advantages of plastic material throughout the rest of the structure.
2Weight of moving object
If the oil pan is made with lower stiffness material to reduce weight, then the weight is reduced, but the sealing performance deteriorates due to gasket deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing ribs are strategically positioned at the flange portion to provide localized stiffness enhancement precisely where the sealing gasket contacts the cylinder block. This ensures that the critical sealing area maintains dimensional stability under vibration while the rest of the oil pan remains lightweight.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing ribs are pre-formed as integral parts of the oil pan structure during manufacturing, establishing the stiffness characteristics before the oil pan is assembled to the engine. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that the flange portion resists deformation from the outset, preventing gasket distortion before sealing issues can occur.
3Reliability
If the flange portion stiffness is increased to prevent gasket deformation, then the sealing performance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing ribs are merged with the flange portion as an integral structure, formed as a single piece during oil pan manufacturing. This integration eliminates the need for separate reinforcement components, fasteners, or assembly steps, thereby increasing sealing performance without adding device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The oil pan structure serves its own reinforcement needs through the integrally formed ribs that are part of the pan itself. The flange portion self-reinforces through its own geometric design rather than requiring external reinforcement elements, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining high sealing performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing portion deformation reducing type engine oil pan having a main compartment portion for storage of engine oil, may include a pan bottom portion configured to surround a bottom of the main compartment portion; a pan side portion configured to surround a side of the main compartment portion; and a flange portion configured to be formed at an upper portion of the pan side portion and mounted with a sealing gasket, wherein a reinforcing rib is disposed at a lower portion of the flange portion while being formed at an opening of the fan side portion.