The present invention relates to an oil pump apparatus and more particularly to an oil pump apparatus which includes a regulator valve mechanism for regulating discharged oil pressure.
A conventional oil pump apparatus of this kind is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility-Model Laid-Open Publication No. 1-125806 and Japanese Utility-Model Laid-Open Publication No. 4-006510. The oil pump include a regulator valve mechanism which regulates the pressure of oil discharged from a discharge port to portions of an engine. In general, the oil pump apparatus is mounted at the front side of the engine and it is necessary to avoid an interference with a timing chain or an oil pump driving chain and so on when the oil pump is mounted. In such circumstance, the oil pump apparatus disclosed in the former publication has the regulator valve mechanism which is disposed on a body and which is projected outward from the body so as to avoid the interference with the timing chain. Therefore, the side of the oil pump is increased and the oil pump takes up lots of space for mounting on the engine. In the later publication, the regulator valve mechanism is disposed in a discharge passage of an engine block for avoiding the interference with the chain. In this oil pump, however, it is necessary to form ribs for preventing the generation of in order to achieve the foregoing object, the present invention provides an oil pump apparatus which includes a body, a first rotor and a second rotor disposed in the body so as to be able to rotate and a regulator valve mechanism for regulating the pressure of oil discharged to portions of an engine, wherein the regulator valve mechanism is disposed in the inside of the body and the engine and includes a regulator valve member which moves in the direction being in parallel with a rotation axis of the first and second rotors in response to the discharged oil pressure.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following detailed description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which;
An oil pump apparatus in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to attached drawings.
A regulator valve mechanism 14 which has an approximately cylindrical shape is disposed in the discharge port 13. The regulator valve mechanism 14 includes a cylindrical housing 6 having an outer diameter 14a, a plug 8, a ball member (corresponding to a regulator valve member) 7 and a spring 9. The cylindrical housing 6 is made by press working of metal and has a bottom portion at one end in the axial direction. At the other end of the housing 6, an opening portion 6a is formed and the plug 8 is securely fitted into the opening portion 6a so as to form a space 14b in the housing 6. The plug 8 has an exhaust hole 8a. At the bottom portion of the housing 6, a relief hole 6b is formed. The ball member 7 is normally urged by the spring 9 so as to close the relief hole 6b. The body 1 has a hole 10a and the housing 6 is pressed into the hole 10a so that the regulator valve mechanism 14 projects in the direction being in parallel with the rotors 5, 6. The regulator valve mechanism 14 projects into the discharge port 13 and the bottom portion of the housing 6 is accommodated in the opening of the discharge passage 3a. The relief hole 6b opens toward the discharge passage 3a and the exhaust hole 8a opens into the inside of timing chain cover (not shown).
When the pressure of the oil discharged to the discharge port 13 exceeds to a predetermined level, the ball member 7 moves against the spring 9 so as to open the relief hole 6b. Then, the oil under pressure is exhausted through the space 14b and the exhaust hole 8a and the pressure of the oil discharged to the discharge port 13 is regulated.
In the above embodiments, the oil pump apparatus includes the cover. However, it is able to abolish the cover. In this case, the pump chamber is defined by the body 1 and the end surface of the cylinder block 3. Further, the inlet port 12 and the discharge port 13 may be formed on the cylinder block 3. Further, it is able to apply the present invention to an external gear pump.
As mentioned above, according to the present invention, it is able to miniaturize an oil pump apparatus and it is able to avoid the interference with the timing chain and so on without increasing the size thereof.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2001-365194 | Nov 2001 | JP | national |
The present application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C §119 with respect to Japanese Patent application No. 2001-365194 filed on Nov. 29, 2001, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3842937 | Lippay et al. | Oct 1974 | A |
4971528 | Hodgkins et al. | Nov 1990 | A |
5759013 | Miyazaki et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
6099263 | Bodzak et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
6196181 | Pong | Mar 2001 | B1 |
6685441 | Nam | Feb 2004 | B2 |
6739305 | Takahara et al. | May 2004 | B2 |
6739828 | Schneider | May 2004 | B2 |
20020114703 | Bodzak | Aug 2002 | A1 |
20030113216 | Draskovits et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
20030180160 | Bodzak et al. | Sep 2003 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
42 41 873 | Dec 1992 | DE |
2393956 | Jul 1977 | FR |
2 393 956 | Jun 1999 | FR |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20040105765 A1 | Jun 2004 | US |