Engine with breather apparatus

Abstract

In order to suppress freezing of a water content within a breather tube, a heater (13) is arranged within a breather tube (11) joining a cylinder head cover (10) and an air cleaner (8). A main body of the breather tube (11) is constituted by a joint tube (18) arranged in a middle, and partial tubes (22, 23) connected to both ends thereof. The heater (13) has a heating element (14) corresponding to a heating element, and has a heater case (21) accommodating the heating element (14) in a state of being pinched by electrodes (15), and is arranged in a center portion of the joint 18. A slot (18a) for inserting the heater (13) is formed in the joint tube 18. A heat radiating body (20) extended along the breather tube (11) is joined to the heater case (21). An outer peripheral portion of the breather tube (11) is covered by an insulative outer tube (24).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational cross sectional view of a breather tube accommodating a breather heater in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational cross sectional view of the breather tube accommodating the breather heater in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an engine driven type power generator with a breather apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the breather heater;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing an assembly of a case accommodating a heating element and a heat radiating body;

FIG. 6 is a bottom elevational view showing the assembly of the case accommodating the heating element and the heat radiating body;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of an assembly of an electrode plate and a harness;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the assembly of the electrode plate and the harness;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a assembling step of the breather heater and the breather tube;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational cross sectional view of a breather tube accommodating a breather heater in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational cross sectional view of the breather tube accommodating the breather heater in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the breather heater;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view for explaining an operation of assembling the breather heater in the breather tube;

FIG. 14 is a side elevational cross sectional view of a breather tube accommodating a breather heater in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view taken along a line A-A in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a side elevational cross sectional view of a breather tube accommodating a plurality of breather heaters;

FIG. 17 is a cross sectional view taken along a line B-B in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing a self-temperature control operation of a PTC heater;

FIG. 19 is a cross sectional view showing a modified embodiment of a mounting portion between an air cleaner and a breather tube; and

FIG. 20 is a cross sectional view showing a modified embodiment of a mounting portion between an air cleaner and a breather tube.

Claims

1. An engine with a breather apparatus introducing a blow-by gas to an intake passage of an engine via a blow-by gas passage, comprising; a breather heater provided within a breather tube of a blow-by gas passage corresponding to an external portion passing portion of an engine.

2. An engine with a breather apparatus introducing a blow-by gas to an intake passage of an engine via a blow-by gas passage, comprising; a breather heater arranged so as to protrude into a breather tube of a blow-by gas passage corresponding to an external portion passing portion of an engine.

3. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the breather heater has a heating element and a heat radiating body radiating a heat generated in the heating element, the heating element is arranged in a center portion of a horizontal cross section of the breather tube, andthe heat radiating body is extended along a longitudinal direction of the breather tube.

4. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the breather heater has a heating element and a heat radiating body radiating a heat generated in the heating element, the heating element is arranged in a center portion of a horizontal cross section of the breather tube, andthe heat radiating body is extended along a longitudinal direction of the breather tube.

5. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the breather tube is provided with a slot formed by passing through a wall portion of the breather tube and used for incorporating the breather heater.

6. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the breather tube is provided with a slot formed by passing through a wall portion of the breather tube and used for incorporating the breather heater.

7. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the breather heater is provided with a heater case having a thermal conductivity accommodating the heating element, and one end of the heat radiating body is joined to the heater case.

8. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the breather heater is provided with a heater case having a thermal conductivity accommodating the heating element, and one end of the heat radiating body is joined to the heater case.

9. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heater case has an opening incorporating the heating element thereto, and a flange formed around the opening engaging with an inner peripheral edge of a slot formed by passing through a wall portion of the breather tube.

10. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the heater case has an opening incorporating the heating element thereto, and a flange formed around the opening engaging with an inner peripheral edge of a slot formed by passing through a wall portion of the breather tube.

11. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the breather tube is constituted by a joint tube, and split tubes respectively connected to both ends of the joint tube, andthe slot is provided in a tube wall of the joint tube.

12. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the breather tube is constituted by a joint tube, and split tubes respectively connected to both ends of the joint tube, and the slot is provided in a tube wall of the joint tube.

13. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 12, wherein the heating element is constituted by a PTC heater.

14. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the PTC heater is sealed from an external portion.

15. The engine with a breather apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 12, wherein the engine is provided with a tubular heat insulator covering at least the slot in an outer periphery of the breather tube.