Heat engine block, has spacer locally providing tightening of oil pan against casing cylinders, ensuring maintenance of filter cartridge and providing passage between oil filter cartridge and casing cylinders

[ oooi ] A heat engine block, a method of assembling the engine block and a spacer for equipping the engine block.

[ooo2] Conventionally, an engine block comprises essentially an engine and a gearbox. The motor is assembled around a cylinder housing forming its main component. In the cylinder housing move pistons whose translational movement is converted into rotational movement of a crankshaft. The crankshaft and the surrounding mechanical parts are often grouped as "low engine" and are located below the rollers as opposed to mechanical parts located above the cylinders such as, in particular, a camshaft for controlling valves provided to enable the intake and the exhaust in combustion chambers of the engine.

[ooo3] low For the architecture of the engine, there are two main families of cylinder housing. The first family of cylinder housing is covered with a casing cap forming with the cylinder block of the bearings of the crankshaft. The second family of cylinder housing has skirts surrounding the crankshaft. In this second family, each has its own bearing of the crankshaft bearing cap. The assembly formed the cylinder housing, of the crankshaft and of the caps is then oil-tightly closed and gas generally by a cover oil tray supporting a portion of the interface with the gearbox.

[ooo4] The assembly formed the cylinder housing skirt of the oil pan and supporting a portion of the interface with the gearbox requires a particularly gentle interface. To seal to the high-pressure oil and gas to the low pressures, the state of surface between the two component pieces should be neat and is must provide a contact pressure between the two parts large enough to prevent leakage. It is necessary sometimes the use of attachment seals to ensure the sealing function. To interface with gear box, it is necessary that the surface of the oil pan for the interface has good perpendicularity with respect to the axis of the crankshaft. Furthermore, the surface of the oil pan is to be in the extension of another surface of the cylinder housing. To ensure correct positioning of the cylinder housing and the oil pan, it is frequent the need for a specific process of aligning the gearbox interface/oil pan with the interface/Carter gearbox cylinders, when assembling the engine. The process is called " retaquage ". It includes prepositioning the oil pan relative to the cylinder housing and slid relative to each other to obtain proper alignment of surfaces to interface with the gearbox and also fix the relative position of the oil pan and the cylinder housing.

[ooo5] Furthermore, the oil pan may have an interface for receiving a filter cartridge for filtering the oil used to lubricate the moving parts of the engine, such as the crankshaft. The interface is generally formed around a threaded rod which screw the filter cartridge.

[ooo6] To date interface with the filter cartridge, the operating function position of the oil pan relative to the cylinder housing and the sealing function to the high-pressure oil are completely separated.

[ooo7] The aim of the invention is to facilitate assembly of the engine block, in particular grouping the three functions.

[ooo8] To this end, the invention relates to a heat engine block comprising a cylinder housing, an oil pan, a gear box, a crankshaft and a a cartridge oil filter, the oil pan forming with the cylinder housing a cavity containing the crankshaft, gear box being disposed with one of its faces bearing against the cylinder housing and against the oil pan, the engine block being characterized in that it further comprises a spacer to the embectage from the oil pan to the supporting face of the gearbox, providing locally application of the oil pan against the cylinder housing, holding the filter cartridge and for passage of oil between the filter cartridge and the cylinder housing.

[0009] Advantageously, to provide locally application of the oil pan against the cylinder housing, the spacer comprises a first thread cooperating with a thread of the cylinder housing and means for a tool clamp the first thread in the inner bore of the cylinder housing.

[ ooio ] Advantageously, to ensure the maintenance of the filter cartridge, the spacer comprises a second thread cooperating with an internal thread of the filter cartridge and in that for ensuring the flow of the oil between the filter cartridge and the cylinder housing the spacer is bored right through.

[ ooii ] the spacer can provide for a positioning of the oil pan relative to the cylinder housing in a direction parallel to the bearing surface of the gearbox. For such positioning, the spacer comprises advantageously a cylindrical part cooperating with a elongated hole arranged in the oil pan, a longitudinal axis of the oblong hole being perpendicular to the support surface of the gearbox.

[0012] The invention also relates to a method of assembling an engine block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists in mixing the following steps:

•placing a gasket on a surface of the cylinder housing for engagement with a surface of the oil pan;

•positioning oil pan on the cylinder housing;

• embectage of the strut in the cylinder housing and of several screws for fixing the oil pan on the cylinder housing;

• retaquage from the oil pan with respect to the bearing face gear box;

•clamping of the spacer and the screws for fastening the oil pan.

[0013] The invention also relates to a spacer for equipping a heat engine block comprising a cylinder housing, an oil pan, a gear box, a crankshaft and a a cartridge oil filter, the oil pan forming with the cylinder housing a cavity containing the crankshaft, gear box being disposed with one of its faces bearing against the cylinder housing and against the oil pan, characterized in that it is intended to provide locally application of the oil pan against the cylinder housing, to hold the filter cartridge and the passage of oil between the filter cartridge and the cylinder housing.

[0014] The invention be included and other advantages shall become apparent from the detailed description of a exemplary embodiment example, seal description illustrated in the drawing wherein:

•Figure 1 represents the main parts of a heat engine block;

•Figure 2 represents an oil basin of the engine block;

•Figure 3 represents in an enlarged view a detail of an area of the oil pan for receiving a filter cartridge;

•Figure 4 represents a strut of the engine block;

•Figure 5 is a partial cross-a cylinder housing, an oil pan and a spacer.

[0015] For sake of clarity, the same elements bear the same reference marks in the different Figures.

[0016] Figure 1 shows schematically one example of heat engine block 10 including a cylinder housing 11, an oil pan 12 and a gearbox 13. The oil pan 12 abuts a planar surface 14 the cylinder housing 11. The oil pan 12 forms with the cylinder housing 11 a cavity containing a crankshaft. The gearbox 13 comprises a planar surface 15 bearing against the cylinder housing 11 and against the oil pan 12. In order to ensure properly seat gear box 13 against both the cylinder housing 11 and against the oil pan 12, during placement of the oil pan 12, it is necessary to provide a possibility of adjusting the position of the oil pan 12 with respect to the cylinder block 11. When this adjustment, called retaquage , the oil pan 12 should be able to slide along the planar surface 14 the cylinder housing 11 perpendicular to the planar surface 15 gear box 13.

[0017] The invention is particularly adapted to cylinders housings skirts. However, it is perfectly possible to implement the invention for other types of cylinder housing as soon as a retaquage from the oil pan is required.

[0018] Figure 2 represents in perspective the oil pan 12 which may be in two parts. A first portion, often called upper oil pan is intended to bear against the planar surface 14 the cylinder housing 11 and a second portion, not shown, can close an opening 16 of the upper oil pan. Thereafter, is not will discriminate if the oil pan is made of one or two parts. The portion bearing against the cylinder housing 11 and 12 will carry the mark will be for convenience called oil pan.

[0019] The oil pan 12 has a planar first surface 17 for abutment against the planar surface 14 the cylinder housing 11 and a second planar surface 18 for abutment against the planar surface 15 gear box 13. The oil pan 12 further includes a zone 19 for receiving a cartridge oil filter. The filter cartridge should be able to be disassembled periodically in maintenance of the engine block 10. To this end, the filter cartridge is installed from the outside of the oil pan 12.

[0020] Figure 3 represents in an enlarged view a detail of the area 19. The oil pan 12 is pierced with an oblong hole 20 which can be provided at the bottom of a counterbore 21 formed in the planar surface 17 and perpendicular thereto. The elongated hole 20 is for receiving a spacer 22 for the clamping of the oil pan 12 against the cylinder housing 11. The elongated hole 20 extends in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the flat surface 23 18 used as interface with the gearbox 13. The elongated hole 20 permits a translation from the oil pan 12 along the longitudinal direction 23 to adjust the position of the oil pan 12 with respect to the gear box 15.

[0021] Figure 4 the spacer 22 represents perspective and Figure 5 represents the spacer 22 sectional assembled with the cylinder block 11 and the oil pan 12.

The spacer makes it possible to provide several functions, positioning the oil pan 12 relative to the cylinder housing 11 while permitting adjusting their relative position, the clamping of the oil pan 12 against the cylinder housing 11, seating of the filter cartridge and the passage of the oil leaving the filter cartridge to oil ducts formed in the cylinder housing 11.

[0022] The spacer 22 is cylindrical and extends along an axis 24. On one end to the other along its axis 24, the spacer comprises: a smooth shaft 25, a thread 26, a smooth shaft 27, a collar 28 a hexagonal portion 29 and a thread 30. The spacer 22 further includes a bore 31 of axis 24 through the one spacer 22 over its entire length.

[0023] The smooth shaft 25 is to fit a bore 32 the cylinder housing 11. This adjustment provides centering of the spacer 22 relative to the cylinder housing 11. The axis 24 is then perpendicular to the planar surface 14 the cylinder housing 11. The thread 26 is intended to cooperate with a thread 33 the cylinder housing 11 to clamp of the spacer 22 in the cylinder housing 11. The smooth shaft 27 is intended to fit within the elongated hole of the oil pan 12 to ensure positioning of the oil pan 12 in a direction parallel to the planar surface 15 gear box 13. The positioning of the oil pan 12 in the direction perpendicular to the planar surface 15 gear box 13 is not secured by the spacer due to the oblong shape of the hole 20. As is seen above, the latter is positioned by adjustment. The collet 28 allows the spacer 22 engage against a planar surface 34 of the oil pan 12 perpendicular to the axis 24. The hexagonal portion 29 allows the tightening of the thread 26 into the threaded bore 33. The hexagonal portion 29 can be driven in rotation about the axis 24 by means of a tool to force the collar 28 against the planar surface 31 and thus the compression of the planar surface 17 of the oil pan 12 against the flat surface 14 of the cylinder block 11. The pressurizing seals oil and gas from the interior volume of from the oil pan 12 and the cylinder housing 11. The may be a seal between the flat surfaces 14 and 17. The thread 30 to receive the filter cartridge, not shown in these Figures. The bore 31 through the one spacer 22 allows oil from said filter cartridge reach a channel 35 formed in the cylinder housing 11.

[0024] The assembly of an engine block as described above may be performed by performing the following operations:

•Placing a seal on the planar surface 14 the cylinder housing 11 intended to come into contact with the planar surface 17 of the oil pan 12. The seal is, for example, a silicone cord.

•Use of position of the oil pan 12 on the cylinder housing 11. The two planar surfaces 14 and 17 are contacted through the joint laid in the preceding step.

• Embectage of the spacer 22 in the cylinder housing 11 and of several screws for fixing the oil pan 12 on the cylinder housing 11. That is, the screws and the spacer are partially screwed into the cylinder block 11 to leave a possibility of adjusting the relative position of the oil pan 12 with respect to the cylinder block 11 by sliding the two planar surfaces 14 and 17 relative to one another.

• Retaquage from the oil pan 12 with respect to the plane face 15 box vitesse13. In this operation the relative adjusted position of the oil pan 12 with respect to the cylinder block 11 is performed.

•Serrate of the spacer 22 and the screws for fastening the oil pan 11 to provide sufficient pressure planar surfaces 14 and 17 to each other.