Patent Grant
8978615
This application claims the priority of DE 10 2013 000 510.8 filed Jan. 15, 2013, the priority is hereby claimed incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a device for the sealed connection of communicating ducts in adjoining and/or connected components of an internal combustion engine, in particular of communicating ducts in a crankcase and an oil sump of an internal combustion engine, as per the preamble of patent claim 1.
DE 10 2004 037 054 A1, for example, discloses a generic sealing device in which a connecting pipe with a sealing ring is used in ducts provided in flange regions of components of an internal combustion engine. Aside from generating the sealed connection of the ducts which conduct lubricating oil, for example, such connecting pipes also act as centering sleeves which, in a manner which facilitates assembly, also permit a defined assignment of the components to be connected. Tolerance compensation transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the connecting pipe is scarcely possible here without inadmissible warping of the sealing device. In the case of certain components of internal combustion engines, however, there is the problem that, in a further flange plane which is for example perpendicular to the first flange plane, components must be connected which span the components joined together with the connecting pipe via the first flange plane (for example a timing sprocket cover, a clutch housing, a flywheel housing, etc.). Here, leaks and/or component warping may arise as a result of flange surfaces which are not in exact alignment.
It is an object of the invention to propose a device, which is simple in structural and manufacturing terms, for the sealed connection of communicating ducts in adjoining and/or connected components of an internal combustion engine, in particular of communicating ducts in a crankcase and an oil sump of an internal combustion engine, which device, while providing reliable sealing, permits a defined degree of tolerance compensation in the direction of the flange plane of the components with the connecting pipe.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, a device for the sealed connection of communicating ducts in adjoining and/or connected components of an internal combustion engine, in particular of communicating ducts in a crankcase and an oil sump of an internal combustion engine, includes a connecting pipe inserted into the ducts and which in turn has a pipe portion which projects into a first component, between which pipe portion and an associated duct wall of the first component there is arranged a radially sealing sealing ring. The connecting pipe furthermore has an annular collar which is accommodated in a duct-side recess of the second component. An axially sealing second sealing ring is arranged between a face-side portion of the annular collar and a wall region of the duct-side recess, wherein the annular collar is furthermore accommodated in the recess with a radial circumferential gap.
By means of the circumferential gap, tolerance compensation can be provided in the sealing plane without the sealing action of the sealing ring which acts in the axial direction being impaired. Here, the centering action of the connecting pipe which simplifies the assembly of the components, and a simple arrangement of the sealing rings on the connecting pipe, are substantially maintained. The connecting pipe may alternatively also be referred to as a connecting sleeve.
Furthermore, with the joining-together of the components, the annular collar is held in the connecting or flange plane in the axial direction and with a defined seal contact pressure, while the tubular portion of the connecting pipe may be of thin-walled form, thus permitting expedient duct cross sections with small dimensions.
The solution according to the invention can thus serve in a highly effective manner as a compensator for relative displacements between a crankcase and an oil sump, for example for the situation of different thermal expansions of the components and/or in the case of a deformation during engine operation, for example a deformation resulting from a freely suspended transmission.
The axially acting second sealing ring could basically be formed, for example, by a flat or areal sealing ring. Particularly preferable for a particularly good sealing action, however, is an embodiment in which, in a manner advantageous from a manufacturing aspect, an annular groove is provided in the face-side portion of the annular collar, into which annular groove the second sealing ring, which has an axially sealing action, is inserted. Here, the annular groove may be designed such that the sealing ring is not only situated loosely therein but rather is also retained therein.
As an alternative to this, it may however also be provided that, on the face-side portion of the annular collar, there is formed a projection which runs around thereon at least in sections, preferably annularly, and by means of which the second sealing ring, which has an axially sealing action, can be held on the face-side portion, in particular held there in a secure manner in terms of assembly with a defined preload. Here, the projection is preferably formed, from a manufacturing and assembly aspect, such that, at its outer circumference, it tapers conically toward the annular collar. It is then possible here for the associated sealing ring, which has an axial sealing action, to be simply stretched and fitted onto the projection. After the fitting, the sealing ring elastically contracts and is thereby retained on the projection, which yields a significant simplification of the assembly process, because the sealing ring is held captively on the annular collar during the connection or bringing-together of the two components. Furthermore, the projection is preferably formed so as to rest on the inner edge region of the face-side portion of the annular collar and/or, by way of its inner circumference, forms a constituent part of a pipe wall of the connecting pipe. This yields a stepless region on the duct side and a compact overall construction.
Furthermore, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the first sealing ring, which has a radially sealing action, may be arranged in a secure manner in terms of assembly in a duct-wall-side annular groove of the associated duct. The duct-side recess is formed, in a simple manner in terms of manufacturing, by a widening, which is of step-shaped cross section, in the mouth region of the duct of the second component.
It is particularly preferable for the first component to be a crankcase of an internal combustion engine and for the second component to be an oil sump and/or a lower crankcase bearing part and/or a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. The assembly process may then be inter alia the insertion of the connecting pipe into the duct of the crankcase, and with pre-centering by the connecting pipe or by the annular collar, the mounting onto the further component, for example the oil sump. The tolerance compensation by means of the circumferential gap which is provided may be realized with the mounting of the further attachment part, for example a timing sprocket cover, or if appropriate by means of a measurement tool or a gauge.
Finally, the ducts which receive the connecting pipe may be oil suction ducts and/or oil return ducts of a lubricating oil system of the internal combustion engine. Furthermore, the ducts could if appropriate also serve for the transfer of cooling water in a liquid-cooled internal combustion engine.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail on the basis of the appended schematic drawing, in which:
a, 2b show a first embodiment of the detail Z of
a, 3b show an alternative embodiment of the detail Z of
Flange-mounted on the internal combustion engine 1 at the power output side is a flywheel housing 5 whose flange plane 6 runs approximately vertically and, as can be seen, spans corresponding flange regions both of the crankcase 2 and also of the oil sump 4. For this purpose, the crankcase 2 and the oil sump 4 have, correspondingly to the horizontal flange plane 3, flange regions oriented perpendicularly in the flange plane 6.
At least in a flange region between the crankcase 2 and the oil sump 4, ducts 7 and 8 are manufactured or produced which are oriented in alignment and perpendicular to the flange plane 3 and into which there is inserted a connecting pipe 9 which bridges the ducts 7 and 8. The connecting pipe 9 firstly seals off the ducts 7 and 8 to the outside and, during assembly, serves for the defined alignment of the oil sump 4 relative to the crankcase 2. The solution according to the invention can thus serve in a highly effective manner as a compensator for relative displacements between a crankcase and an oil sump, for example for the situation of different thermal expansions of the components and/or in the case of a deformation during engine operation, for example a deformation resulting from a freely suspended transmission.
The ducts 7 and 8 may form an oil suction duct for the suction of lubricating oil out of the oil sump 4, or an oil return duct. It is also possible for multiple ducts 7 and 8 to be provided with connecting pipes 9 in the flange plane 3.
a, 2b show, in an enlarged illustration, a first exemplary embodiment of the connecting pipe 9 which is inserted sealingly into the ducts 7 and 8 by means of two for example resiliently elastic sealing rings 10 and 11.
For this purpose, the connecting pipe 9 has a thin-walled pipe portion 9a with a chamfer 9b at the face side and with an annular collar 9c of larger diameter.
The pipe portion 9a projects into the duct 7 over a defined length, and in so doing, interacts with the sealing ring 10, which is inserted into an annular groove 7a, with a radially oriented sealing action. For the preloading of the sealing ring 10, the annular groove 7a is designed such that the sealing ring 10 projects beyond said annular groove to a predefined extent in the non-assembled state.
Furthermore, the annular collar 9c of the connecting pipe 9 is held in the axial direction in a recess 8a, which is widened in a step-shaped manner in cross section, of the duct 8 in the mouth region 8b of the duct 8 in the flange region of the oil sump 4, wherein the sealing ring 11 is inserted into an annular groove 9a of a face-side portion of the annular collar 9c and, in the assembled state, is preloaded with an axially oriented seal pressure (
Furthermore, the annular groove 9d is dimensioned such that, even in the case of extreme radial displacements of the annular collar 9c at the circumferential gap side, its inner groove wall portion 9f bears and is supported reliably by way of its contact surface against the recess 8a or a duct-side edge region 8c of the recess 8a.
Between the recess 8a of the duct 8 in the oil sump 4 and the annular collar 9c of the connecting pipe 9, there is formed a radial circumferential gap s of defined size, which gap permits a displacement of the oil sump 4 relative to the crankcase 2 in the horizontal direction without the seal pressure at the sealing ring 11 being impaired.
During the mounting of the oil sump 4 onto the crankcase 2, after the sealing rings 10 and 11 are placed into the corresponding annular grooves 7a, 9d, the connecting pipe 9 is inserted into the duct 7, and then the oil sump 4, in a manner aligned by means of the annular collar 9c of the connecting pipe 9, is mounted in an upward vertical mounting direction, and is initially only loosely fixed.
Subsequently, it can be ensured for example by means of a gauge that the vertical flange regions, arranged in the flange plane 6 for the flywheel housing 5, of the crankcase 2 and oil sump 4 are in exact alignment with one another, wherein by means of the circumferential gap s at the connecting pipe 9, a small correction for compensating manufacturing tolerances can be carried out if necessary.
The further assembly process may be performed in a known manner.
a, 3b show an alternative embodiment of the connecting pipe 9, in which, on the face-side portion of the annular collar 9c, there is integrally formed a projection 9e which in this case is by way of example of annularly encircling form and fields the axially acting sealing ring 11. For secure hold against slippage, the projection 9e or the outer circumference thereof is designed to taper comically toward the annular collar 9c, whereby the sealing ring 11 is secured axially, similarly to the situation in a groove. The “groove” thus formed could also be of rounded form. As can also be seen, the projection 9e is formed and arranged such that its inner circumference forms a constituent part of the pipe wall of the connecting pipe 9.
The projection 9e is designed, with regard to its axial extent, such that it is ensured that the sealing ring 11 is compressed in the axial direction within the recess 8a of the duct 8 (see
Furthermore, the projection 9e is dimensioned such that, even in the event of extreme radial displacements of the annular collar to at the circumferential gap side, it bears and is supported reliably against the recess 8a or a duct-side edge region 8c of the recess 8a. In other words, this means that the outer diameter of the projection 9e in the region of its receptacle-side contact surface is selected so as to be greater than the duct diameter in the region of the mouth opening of the duct 8.
The invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiment illustrated. For example, as possible functional parts of the internal combustion engine instead of the oil sump 4, use may also be made of a cylinder head, a crankcase bearing housing, etc., which are provided with at least one connecting pipe 9 at the flange regions for the sealed connection of integrated ducts 7, 8 and which simultaneously serve for alignment during the assembly of the functional parts and subsequent tolerance compensation.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2013 000 510 | Jan 2013 | DE | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6418911 | Augustin | Jul 2002 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 10 2004 037 054 | Mar 2006 | DE |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140197634 A1 | Jul 2014 | US |
