U.S. patent application number 12/413182 was filed with the patent office on 2009-10-22 for device for returning oil separated from blow-by gases and accumulated in an accumulation chamber.
This patent application is currently assigned to Dichtungstechnik G. Bruss GmbH & Co., KG. Invention is credited to Lasse Hoffmann, Artur Knaus.
Application Number | 20090263261 12/413182 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41078602 |
Filed Date | 2009-10-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090263261 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hoffmann; Lasse ; et
al. |
October 22, 2009 |
DEVICE FOR RETURNING OIL SEPARATED FROM BLOW-BY GASES AND
ACCUMULATED IN AN ACCUMULATION CHAMBER
Abstract
The invention relates to a device for returning oil separated
from blow-by gases and accumulated in an accumulation chamber (5)
into the crankcase (2) of an internal combustion engine with a pump
(9), wherein the pump (9) is located on a component (8) of the
internal combustion engine, which component periodically changes
the distance to the pump (9), and that the pump (9) can be driven
by magnetic forces acting between the component (8) and the pump
(9).
Inventors: |
Hoffmann; Lasse; (Winsen,
DE) ; Knaus; Artur; (Hamburg, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MADSON IP
Old Shepard Commons, Suite 230, 1466 North Highway 89
Farmington
UT
84025
US
|
Assignee: |
Dichtungstechnik G. Bruss GmbH
& Co., KG
Hoisdorf
DE
|
Family ID: |
41078602 |
Appl. No.: |
12/413182 |
Filed: |
March 27, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/413.1 ;
123/196R |
Current CPC
Class: |
F01M 13/0416 20130101;
F01M 13/04 20130101; F01M 2013/0494 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/413.1 ;
123/196.R |
International
Class: |
F04B 43/04 20060101
F04B043/04; F01M 1/02 20060101 F01M001/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 16, 2008 |
DE |
10 2008 019 293.7 |
Claims
1. Device for returning oil separated from blow-by gases and
accumulated in an accumulation chamber into the crankcase of an
internal combustion engine with a pump, wherein the pump is located
a small distance from a component of the internal combustion
engine, which component periodically changes the distance to the
pump, and that the pump is driven by magnetic forces acting between
the component and the pump.
2. Device according to claim 1, wherein either the pump or the
component is magnet-equipped, and that the respective other part is
designed to be magnetic.
3. Device according to claim 1, further comprising a permanent
magnet.
4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the permanent magnet is
selected from the group consisting of vulcanised, bonded or
insert-moulded.
5. Device according to claim 1, further comprising plastic material
comprising magnetic particles.
6. Device according to claim 1, further comprising an elastomer
comprising magnetic particles.
7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the pump is formed from an
elastomer, and magnetic particles are located within the
elastomer.
8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the pump is formed from a
plastic material, and magnetic particles are located within the
plastic material.
9. Device according to claim 1, wherein the component is formed
from an elastomer, and magnetic particles are located within the
elastomer.
10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the component is formed
from a plastic material, and magnetic particles are located within
the plastic material.
11. Device according to claim 1, wherein the pump comprises a
diaphragm that can be induced to perform a stroke movement as a
result of the changing distance of the component of the internal
combustion engine.
12. Device according to claim 11, wherein the diaphragm has a
spring configuration and can automatically be moved back to the
initial position after performing the stroke movement.
13. Device according to claim 11, wherein the diaphragm comprises a
circumferential bead.
14. Device according to claim 1, wherein the pump is assigned to an
intermediate chamber, the intermediate chamber being connected to
the accumulation chamber via a first non-return valve permeable in
the inlet direction, and to the crankcase via a second non-return
valve permeable in the outlet direction.
15. Device according to claim 14, wherein the pump, at a first
distance to the component, generates low pressure in the
intermediate chamber and thereby intakes oil from the accumulation
chamber via the first non-return valve into the intermediate
chamber, and, at a second distance, pumps the oil from the
intermediate chamber into the crankcase via the second non-return
valve, the second distance being greater than the first
distance.
16. Device according to claim 1, wherein the component is selected
from a group consisting of a cam shaft, one of the gas exchange
valves or a part of the lever mechanism acting upon the gas
exchange valve.
17. Device according to claim 1, wherein the pump can be driven by
the component in a non-contact manner.
18. Device for returning oil separated from blow-by gases and
accumulated in an accumulation chamber into the crankcase of an
internal combustion engine with a pump, wherein the pump is located
a first distance from a component of the internal combustion
engine, which component periodically changes the distance to the
pump to a second distance, and that the pump is driven by magnetic
forces acting between the component and the pump.
19. Device according to claim 18, wherein the second distance is
greater than the first distance.
20. Device for returning oil separated from blow-by gases and
accumulated in an accumulation chamber into the crankcase of an
internal combustion engine with a pump, wherein the pump comprises
a diaphragm and the pump is located a first distance from a
component of the internal combustion engine, which component
periodically changes the distance to the pump to a second distance,
the device further comprising a permanent magnet positioned such
that the pump is driven by magnetic forces acting between the
component and the pump.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a device for returning oil
separated from blow-by gases and accumulated in an accumulation
chamber into the crankcase of an internal combustion engine with a
pump.
[0002] A generic device is known for example from DE 41 01 203 A1.
In this device, an auxiliary pump is used for returning the
separated oil. The auxiliary pump can for example be a vacuum pump
for generating low pressure in a vehicle brake servo unit, which
vacuum pump is driven by the internal combustion engine. It is a
disadvantage of this embodiment that it necessitates a complex
connection of the auxiliary pump to the device, in particular when
the device is not located near the brake servo unit.
[0003] A further device is known from DE 20 2004 004 802 U1, in
which device the pump is driven by the vibrational energy generated
during operation of the internal combustion engine. The generated
vibrational energy is conditional on the motion of the piston.
However, experience has shown that the thus generated vibrational
energy is not sufficient in internal combustion engines comprising
more than five cylinders and thereby involving an enhanced running
smoothness.
[0004] It is an object of the invention to improve a generic device
in such a way that the return of the oil is rendered possible for
internal combustion engines comprising six and more cylinders as
well, wherein the constructional configuration shall be designed to
be cost-effective and as simple as possible.
[0005] According to the invention, the object is solved by a device
comprising the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments can be
learned from the sub claims.
[0006] According to claim 1, it is proposed that the pump is
located on a component of the internal combustion engine, which
component periodically changes the distance to the pump, and that
the pump can be driven by magnetic forces acting between the
component and the pump. The device proposed according to the
invention thus provides the advantage that an already present
component of the internal combustion engine is used for driving the
pump, and that the proposed drive by means of magnetic forces
requires no additional components for transmitting the force.
[0007] The magnetic forces can be easily generated by the pump or
the component being magnet-equipped and by the respective other
component being designed to be magnetic. The term "magnetic" here
means that the component is attracted or repelled by the respective
other component. In particular all ferromagnetic materials or even
plastic materials containing ferromagnetic particles lend
themselves as magnetic materials. Preferably permanent magnets lend
themselves as magnets to be used, which permanent magnets do not
require any connection to external components so that the whole
device can be reliably operated in permanent operation even in a
hermetically sealed system.
[0008] A further preferred embodiment of the invention is that the
pump comprises a vulcanised, bonded or insert-moulded permanent
magnet, or that the same is formed from a plastic material
comprising magnetic particles and/or from an elastomer.
[0009] Thereby, a very easy way of magnet equipping is proposed,
which can already be carried out during the manufacturing process
of the pump or of the magnet-equipped part of the pump.
Furthermore, the magnet is thus located on the pump in a loss-proof
manner so that the functionality is guaranteed even during
permanent operation after a high number of operating hours. Using
an elastomer lends itself inasmuch as the magnetic particles can
already be introduced during the vulcanisation process and can be
magnetised as needed.
[0010] Furthermore, the pump or the component can be formed from an
elastomer and/or from a plastic material, which elastomer comprises
the magnetic particles in a limited portion only. The limited
portion then expediently is the portion having the smallest
distance during the periodic movement. As a result, optimal use is
made of the generated magnetic force. The elastomer and/or the
plastic material can then be injected in two steps by injecting the
elastomer and/or the plastic material together with the magnetic
particles in a first step, and by injecting the plastic material
and/or the elastomer without magnetic particles in a second step.
Both materials then unite by being vulcanised or fuse in the tool
so that the finished part can subsequently be taken out of the
machine.
[0011] It is further proposed that the pump comprises a diaphragm,
and that the diaphragm can be induced to perform a stroke movement
as a result of the changing distance of the component of the
internal combustion engine. The proposed diaphragm provides a very
easy but effective way of transforming the movement of the
component moving with a periodically changing distance into a
pressure pulsation effecting the return of the oil.
[0012] The diaphragm preferably has a spring elastic configuration,
wherein the same can automatically be moved back to its initial
position after performing the stroke movement. The diaphragm itself
can for example be made of an elastomer, wherein the diaphragm then
summons up the required reset force for moving back to the initial
position by itself by means of its shaping. Alternatively, the
diaphragm can also be mounted in a resilient manner and can consist
of a dimensionally stable material, wherein the spring forces then
pretension the diaphragm to the initial position.
[0013] One possibility of shaping is that the diaphragm comprises a
circumferential bead. By the proposed bead, a particularly large
stroke volume is provided at an equal dimension of the diaphragm so
that, conversely, for a predetermined stroke volume, the diaphragm
can be reduced in size accordingly.
[0014] It is further proposed that the pump is assigned to an
intermediate chamber, and that the intermediate chamber can be
connected to the accumulation chamber via a first non-return valve
permeable in the inlet direction, and to the crankcase via a second
non-return valve permeable in the outlet direction. By the proposed
assignment of the pump to an intermediate chamber and by the
connection to the accumulation chamber and to the crankcase via
non-return valves, a device is provided, by which the movement of
the periodically changing distance is transformed into a continuous
sequence of alternating oil intake phases from the accumulation
chamber and oil outlet phases into the crankcase.
[0015] A constructively easy way of transforming the periodic
excitation by the component of the internal combustion engine is
that the pump, at a small distance to the component, generates low
pressure in the intermediate chamber and thereby intakes oil from
the accumulation chamber by means of the first non-return valve
into the intermediate chamber, and, at a large distance, pumps the
oil from the intermediate chamber into the crankcase by means of
the second non-return valve. The low pressure required for the
pumping process is thus generated in the intermediate chamber by
generating a magnetic attractive force by the component being moved
by so that even in the event of the pump not functioning, as for
example at a decreasing magnetic force, a distance is present
between the pump and the component so that the component of the
internal combustion engine does not touch at the pump and the
perfect movement of the component cannot further be disturbed.
[0016] For example the cam shaft, the gas exchange valves or parts
of the lever mechanism acting upon the gas exchange valves, as for
example cam followers, rocker arms, roller-type cam followers, lend
themselves as components moving with a periodically changing
distance. These do not only provide the advantage of already
performing a periodic movement due to their function, but also of
being located geometrically near the place where the oil separated
from the blow-by gases is returned in the valve body.
[0017] In particular in view of the functional reliability at a
high number of operating hours it is proposed that the pump can be
driven by the component in a non-contact manner. This provides the
advantage that no abrasion occurs, and that the parts cannot lock
or disturb each other's movement by touching at each other or by
clamping.
[0018] In the following, the invention is described in more detail
on the basis of preferred embodiments, wherein the figures show in
detail:
[0019] FIG. 1: Device with a pump driven via a cam shaft
[0020] FIG. 2a: Device according to FIG. 1 in the position
"intaking oil from the accumulation chamber"
[0021] FIG. 2b: Device according to FIG. 1 in the position
"discharging oil into the crankcase"
[0022] FIG. 3: Device with a pump driven via a lever acting upon a
gas exchange valve
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for returning oil separated from
blow-by gases and accumulated in an accumulation chamber 5 into the
crankcase 2 of an internal combustion engine (not shown) with a
pump 9. Herein, there is always talk of accumulated and separated
oil, but it is in fact a matter of a mixture of oil with parts of
unburnt fuel and water. The operating mode of the device in its
basic principle, except the newly designed drive of the pump 9,
corresponds to DE 20 2004 004 802 U1 of the same applicant, which
document thus explicitly is to be added to the disclosure of the
present application. The blow-by gases are introduced via an intake
line 3 and first are directed through an oil separator 4. The
separated oil is accumulated in an accumulation chamber 5
comprising a depression, on which a non-return valve 7a
spring-loaded in the closing direction is located. When the spring
force loading the non-return valve 7a is exceeded, the non-return
valve 7a opens and allows the oil to discharge into an intermediate
chamber 6, from which the same again can be directed further on
into a crankcase 2 via a non-return valve 7b spring-loaded in the
closing direction. The pressure in the intermediate chamber 6 can
be varied via a pump 9 designed as a diaphragm, wherein the
diaphragm 9 can be set into a stroke movement by a component, here
a cam shaft 8. The cam shaft 8, during its rotation, performs a
movement periodically changing the distance, by which movement the
stroke movement of the diaphragm is effected. For a better
understanding of the invention, FIGS. 2a and 2b show two different
positions of the pump 9 driven by the cam shaft 8. In FIG. 2a, the
cam of the cam shaft 8 is located directly in front of the pump 9
designed as a diaphragm at a distance D1. The diaphragm 9 is
equipped with a magnet 11 so that the same is attracted in the
arrow direction by the ferromagnetic cam of the cam shaft 8. As a
result of the stroke of the diaphragm 9 low pressure symbolized by
the symbols is generated in the intermediate chamber 6 causing the
non-return valve 7a to open and allowing a transportation of the
oil from the accumulation chamber 5 to the intermediate chamber 6.
In order to facilitate the stroke movement and to increase the
stroke volume, respectively, at an equal diaphragm surface, the
diaphragm 9 is provided with an elastic circumferential bead 12.
The diaphragm 9 itself can be formed for example from an elastomer,
into which a magnet 11 has been vulcanised or inserted by
insert-moulding. Alternatively, the elastomer itself can comprise
magnetic particles as well, in particular in the area being located
directly opposite the cam of the cam shaft 8. The magnet 11 is
thereby further protected against external influences like dirt,
temperature or mechanical stress. In the position shown in FIG. 2b,
the cam shaft 8 is rotated by 90 degrees in the clockwise direction
in relation to the position shown in FIG. 2a, whereby the distance
between the cam shaft 8 and the diaphragm 9 is increased up to the
distance D2. Due to the increased distance D2 the magnetic force is
lower so that the diaphragm 9 has performed a reset movement in the
arrow direction. In order that the reset movement is reliably
performed, and that the diaphragm 9 does not rest in the position
shown in FIG. 2a, the diaphragm 9 is spring-preloaded in the reset
direction by the bead 12 and/or by the choice of the material so
that the same automatically moves back from the position shown in
FIG. 2a to the position shown in FIG. 2b. Alternatively or
additionally, the diaphragm 9 can however be spring-preloaded with
spring elements as well for supporting the reset movement. By the
retraction movement of the diaphragm 9, the pressure in the
intermediate chamber again increases so that the non-return valve
7b then opens and the oil is directly or indirectly directed
further on into the crankcase 2.
[0024] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, in
which the pump 9 is driven by a rocker arm 14. The rocker arm 14
with one end rests against a rotating cam shaft 8 and thereby
performs a periodic swivelling motion so that the end of the rocker
arm 14 resting against the valve 13 performs a movement with a
periodically changing distance in front of the diaphragm 9. Apart
from that, the transportation of the oil from the accumulation
chamber 5 into the crankcase 2 is effected identically with the
process described in FIGS. 2a and 2b.
[0025] Basically, it should be noted that, when the pump 9 is
standing still and the oil has been accumulated, the non-return
valves 7a and 7b open due to gravity and the oil can discharge so
that even in the event of a failure of the pump 9 the oil is
returned. The pressure pulsation generated by the pump 9 in the
intermediate chamber 6 causes the non-return valves 7a and 7b to
alternately open and close so that the oil flow is returned
independent of its volume. In the extreme case, when no oil is
separated, the pump 9 consequently pumps air.
* * * * *