Engine Oil Strainer Check Valve for Rapid Lubrication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Internal combustion engines face challenges in reducing power consumption and shortening the time required to establish oil pressure when starting, leading to inadequate lubrication during the initial stages of operation.

Innovation Solution

An oil strainer with a check valve at the inlet and an oil return pressurized passage is introduced, allowing lubricating oil to flow only into the system and storing returned oil temporarily, which increases inlet pressure and reduces power consumption by enhancing flow rate and pressure when the engine restarts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the oil pump pumps lubricating oil from the oil pan at engine start, then the engine can be lubricated, but the oil pump consumes excessive power and takes longer to establish oil pressure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelubrication reliabilityVSAvoidoil pump power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-filling the lubricating oil passage with oil through the oil filling passage before engine start. This ensures that when the engine starts, the oil pump does not need to draw oil from the oil pan, eliminating the power consumption issue and immediate oil pressure establishment. The check valve maintains this pre-filled state by preventing oil from flowing back to the oil pan.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary component - the oil filling passage with check valve - that mediates between the oil pan and the lubricating oil passage. This intermediary system allows oil to be transferred and stored in the lubricating oil passage without requiring the oil pump to perform this function during engine start, thereby reducing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the oil pump pumps lubricating oil from the oil pan at engine start, then the engine can be lubricated, but the time to establish oil pressure is extended

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelubrication reliabilityVSAvoidoil pressure establishment time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of time

If a check valve is added to prevent oil backflow, then oil pressure establishment time is reduced, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil pressure establishment timeVSAvoidoil strainer structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the check valve function with the existing oil strainer assembly. The check valve is integrated into the oil strainer housing, combining the filtration function and the one-way valve function in a single compact unit. This integration minimizes the increase in device complexity while achieving the desired oil pressure establishment improvement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This solution effectively reduces the time needed to establish oil pressure and improves lubrication efficiency by increasing inlet pressure of the oil pump, reducing power consumption, and enhancing fuel economy.

Implementation Method 1

a check valve (7) which is arranged at the oil inlet (3) and only allows a lubricating oil to flow into the lubricating oil passage (1)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCheck valve one-way flow control: Valve

Implementation Method 2

the pressure limiting valve (6) is configured to open the oil return pressurized passage (2) in a case that a pressure of the returning lubricating oil reaches an opening pressure of the pressure limiting valve (6)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure-dependent valve opening: Valve

Data Source

PatentEP3498992B1Internal combustion engine, lubrication system, and engine oil strainer

Publication Date: 2022.02.09 WEICHAI POWER CO LTD

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AI summary

An engine oil strainer comprises a lubricating oil passage (1), and an oil inlet (3) and an oil outlet (4) which are respectively disposed at two ends of the lubricating oil passage (1). The engine oil strainer further comprises a check valve (7) which is disposed at the oil inlet and which only allows a lubricating oil to flow into the lubricating oil passage. Also disclosed herein are a lubrication system employing the engine oil strainer, and an internal combustion engine having the lubrication system. When the internal combustion engine stops operating, the lubricating oil flows back from the oil outlet into the engine oil strainer. Since the check valve is disposed at the location of the oil inlet of the engine oil strainer, the lubricating oil flowing back into the engine oil strainer is not capable of proceeding to flow back from the oil inlet into the oil pan. The lubricating oil is temporarily stored in the engine oil strainer, which can effectively reduce the time for establishing desired oil pressure when the internal combustion engine resumes operation. The lubricating oil can also reach the proper lubrication position more rapidly. As a result, the internal combustion engine can be sufficiently lubricated as quickly as possible.