Patent Application
20110083635
The present disclosure generally relates to an air cleaner of an internal combustion engine and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for removing debris from the air cleaner.
Typical internal combustion engines require an inflow of ambient air for supporting one or more functional aspects of the engine assembly. The ambient air generally contains dust particles, grit and the like that may damage the engine assembly. Therefore, it is desirable to have an inflow of air that is substantially free of airborne particulates, such as fine dust, dirt, sand, crop material, etc. (debris).
Typically, air cleaners and/or filters are utilized to remove fine dust, dirt, sand, crop material, etc., from drawn in ambient air. An air cleaner performs the task of removing the airborne particulates from the ambient air entering the internal combustion engine such that the particulates do not travel into engine and cause significant wear and damage. Over a period of time, the air cleaner can become clogged with the entrapped dirt and grit particles. Therefore, air cleaners require periodic cleaning or replacement. Because air cleaners are expensive, however, frequent replacement is costly and undesirable. This is especially true when the machine is operated in a dirty or dusty environment, such as mining or other earth working environments.
To aid in removing accumulations of debris from the air cleaner, typically a scavenging conduit is provided. The scavenging conduit is connected to the air cleaner at a first end and is kept open to the environment at the other end. The accumulations in the air cleaner fall into the scavenging conduit and finally escape from the open/exhaust end under the force of gravity. To aid in removing accumulations of the debris from the air cleaner, generally a muffler is utilized. One such example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,668 issued on Oct. 6, 1987 and assigned to Nelson Industries Inc., wherein a suction pressure is generated in the scavenging conduit, of the air cleaner, by a cavity provided in the scavenging conduit and connected to exhaust mufflers of the engine assembly. The arrangement disclosed is costly since the exhaust muffler has to be modified. Further, the cavity arrangement can be susceptible to being filled with the debris drawn from the air cleaner since the cavity has a narrow cross-section. Furthermore, the disclosed arrangement fails to provide effective suction pressure. In other disclosed examples, a suction fan is connected to the scavenging conduit to effectively remove the dirt particles accumulated in the air cleaner. However, such an arrangement adds to the cost and bulk of the engine envelope. Hence, there remains a need to provide a simple arrangement for effectively removing debris accumulated in the air cleaner.
The present disclosure is directed to mitigating or overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
One aspect of the present disclosure provides an air cleaner scavenging kit for an engine assembly. The kit includes a conduit disposed proximate to an air-generating component of an internal combustion engine at a first end portion of the conduit. The conduit is connected to a scavenging conduit of an air cleaner at a second end portion of the conduit. The conduit is disposed to receive a stream of air from the air-generating component and to direct the stream of air towards an exhaust end of the scavenging conduit.
In another aspect, a system for removing debris from an air cleaner of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The system includes a scavenging conduit having a first end portion connected to an air cleaner and an exhaust end spaced from the first end portion. The system also includes a conduit disposed between a source of air and the scavenging conduit, the conduit being positioned to guide a stream of air from the source of air into the scavenging conduit. The system also includes a nozzle located at an end portion of the conduit and disposed in the scavenging conduit. The nozzle directs the air towards the exhaust end of the scavenging conduit, the air generating a suction pressure at the first end portion of the scavenging conduit connected to the air cleaner.
In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for removing debris from an air cleaner of an engine assembly. The method includes routing a stream of air from an air-generating component of the engine assembly into a scavenging conduit coupled to the air cleaner. The method includes directing the stream of air towards an exhaust end of the scavenging conduit. The method also includes the step of generating a suction pressure in a portion of the scavenging conduit proximate to the air cleaner, the suction pressure causing a drawing of the debris from the air cleaner.
Other details and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent by reference to the following description and illustrative drawings of certain present embodiments thereof and certain present preferred methods of practicing the same proceeds.
A more complete appreciation of this disclosure will be understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The second end 112 of the duct 110 may be oriented at an acute angle, angle “L” shown in
The operation of the present disclosure is best described in relation to its use in machines operating in a dirty or dusty environment, particularly those machines performing farming, digging or loading functions, such as, excavators, backhoe loaders, skids steel loaders, wheel loaders, track-type tracers, and front shovels, etc.
An air cleaner is an important component of an engine assembly. The debris extracted by the air cleaner from the inhaled air is required to be regularly removed from the air cleaner for efficient functioning of the air cleaner. Disclosed arrangement 100 as shown in
While certain present preferred embodiments of the disclosure and certain preferred methods of practicing the same have been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.
