Oil pan with dedicated drain for positive crankcase ventilation

• US 10,087,794 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Jocsak, Jeff, Davis, John B., Triantafyllidis, Haralabos
• Primary Examiner(s): Hasan, Syed O
• Application Number:
  US14/997,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20170204754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 123 4186, 123196 CP
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/0004 Oilsumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/02 Arrangements of lubricant conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 13/04 having means for purifying air before leaving crankcase, e.g. removing oil
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/0066 with passages in the wall, e.g. for axles or fluid passages
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/023 between oil sump and cylinder head
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2013/0488 with oil trap in the return conduit to the crankcase

Abstract

An oil pan includes a pan structure forming a primary reservoir, and defining a PCV passage, and a PCV reservoir. The PCV passage includes an inlet for receiving fluid from a PCV drain of an engine block, and an outlet disposed vertically below the inlet of the PCV passage for discharging the fluid received from the PCV drain. The PCV reservoir includes a lower end disposed adjacent the outlet of the PCV passage, and an upper end disposed vertically above the lower end of the PCV reservoir and in fluid communication with the primary reservoir. The PCV passage and the PCV reservoir define a fluid flow path forming a fluid trap at the intersection of the outlet of the PCV passage and the lower end of the PCV reservoir, to keep the outlet of the PCV passage submerged during dynamic operation of the engine.

Claims

1. An oil pan for an engine having a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) drain, the oil pan comprising:

a pan structure having a bottom wall and a side wall extending from the bottom wall and cooperating with the bottom wall to define a primary reservoir;

a PCV passage defined by the pan structure, and including an inlet disposed at a first elevation, and an outlet disposed at a second elevation, wherein the first elevation is higher than the second elevation relative to the bottom wall;

a PCV reservoir defined by the pan structure and having a lower end disposed in fluid communication with the outlet of the PCV passage at the second elevation relative to the bottom wall, and an upper end disposed at a third elevation relative to the bottom wall and in fluid communication with the primary reservoir of the pan structure;

wherein the pan structure includes a first bore defining the PCV passage and extending along a first axis, and wherein the pan structure includes a second bore defining the PCV reservoir and extending along a second axis, with the first axis and the second axis intersecting each other near the second elevation;

wherein the third elevation of the upper end of the PCV reservoir is greater than the second elevation of the lower end of the PCV reservoir and the outlet of the PCV passage;

wherein the third elevation of the upper end of the PCV reservoir is less than the first elevation of the inlet of the PCV passage; and

wherein the primary reservoir is sized to store a defined volume of fluid at a fluid elevation relative to the bottom wall during static operation of the engine, and wherein the third elevation of the upper end of the reservoir chamber is lower than the fluid elevation during static operation of the engine.

2. The oil pan set forth in claim 1 wherein the side wall of the pan structure extends upward from the bottom wall to an upper edge, with the inlet of the PCV passage disposed adjacent the upper edge of the side wall.

3. The oil pan set forth in claim 2 wherein the upper end of the PCV reservoir is disposed vertically between the bottom wall and the upper edge of the side wall.

4. The oil pan set forth in claim 1 wherein the PCV reservoir extends generally vertically between the lower end and the upper end of the PCV reservoir.

5. The oil pan set forth in claim 1 wherein the side wall of the pan structure defines the PCV passage.

6. The oil pan set forth in claim 1 wherein the side wall of the pan structure defines the PCV reservoir.

7. The oil pan set forth in claim 1 wherein the PCV reservoir is sized to contain fluid at a depth sufficient to keep the outlet of the PCV passage submerged during dynamic operation of the engine.

8. The oil pan set forth in claim 1 wherein the PCV passage and the PCV reservoir define a fluid flow path forming a fluid trap at the intersection of the outlet of the PCV passage and the lower end of the PCV reservoir.

9. The oil pan set forth in claim 1 wherein the third elevation is higher than the second elevation relative to the bottom wall.

10. The oil pan set forth in claim 1 wherein the outlet of the PCV passage is disposed adjacent the bottom wall of the pan structure.

11. The oil pan set forth in claim 1, wherein the upper end of the PCV reservoir is the only outlet of the PCV reservoir.

12. An engine comprising:

a block defining a Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) drain;

an oil pan attached to the block, the oil pan including;

a pan structure forming a primary reservoir, and defining a PCV passage, and a PCV reservoir;

wherein the PCV passage includes an inlet for receiving fluid from the PCV drain, and an outlet disposed vertically below the inlet of the PCV passage for discharging the fluid received from the PCV drain;

wherein the PCV reservoir includes a lower end disposed adjacent the outlet of the PCV passage, and an upper end disposed vertically above the lower end of the PCV reservoir and in fluid communication with the primary reservoir;

wherein the PCV passage and the PCV reservoir define a fluid flow path forming a fluid trap at the intersection of the outlet of the PCV passage and the lower end of the PCV reservoir, to keep the outlet of the PCV passage submerged during dynamic operation of the engine;

wherein the pan structure includes a first bore defining the PCV passage and extending along a first axis, and wherein the pan structure includes a second bore defining the PCV reservoir and extending along a second axis, with the first axis and the second axis intersecting each other near the fluid trap;

wherein the pan structure includes a bottom wall and a side wall extending upward from the bottom wall to an upper edge to define the primary reservoir;

the inlet of the PCV passage is disposed at a first elevation, and the outlet of the PCV passage is disposed at a second elevation, wherein the upper end of the PCV reservoir is disposed at a third elevation relative to the bottom wall; and

wherein the primary reservoir is sized to store a defined volume of fluid at a fluid elevation relative to the bottom wall during static operation of the engine, and wherein the third elevation of the upper end of the reservoir chamber is lower than the fluid elevation during static operation of the engine.

13. The engine set forth in claim 12 wherein:

the first elevation is higher than the second elevation relative to the bottom wall;

the lower end of the PCV reservoir is disposed at the second elevation relative to the bottom wall; and

wherein the third elevation is greater than the second elevation relative to the bottom wall, and is less than the first elevation relative to the bottom wall.

14. The engine set forth in claim 12 wherein the PCV reservoir is sized to contain fluid at a depth sufficient to keep the outlet of the PCV passage submerged during dynamic operation of the engine.

15. The engine set forth in claim 13 wherein the third elevation is higher than the second elevation relative to the bottom wall.

16. The engine set forth in claim 13 wherein the outlet of the PCV passage is disposed adjacent the bottom wall of the pan structure.

17. The engine set forth in claim 12, wherein the upper end of the PCV reservoir is the only outlet of the PCV reservoir.