Internal combustion engine for vehicle

• US 7,891,333 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Shinya, Terada, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): KAMEN, NOAH P
• Application Number:
  US12/054,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20080236537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 123/41.33, 123/195.R, 123/195.A, 123/195.AC, 123/196.R, 123/196.A, 123/196.AB, 123/198.R, 123/179.1, 123/179.25
• US Class Current: 123/196.0AB
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/03 Mounting or connecting of lubricant purifying means relative to the machine or engine; Details of lubricant purifying means filters B01D
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/033 comprising coolers or heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/002 Cooling

Abstract

An electric motor is cooled by an air flow without restricting the degree of freedom in the arrangement of an oil cooler and an oil filter by utilizing a front face of a front portion of an engine body to arrange the electric motor. The engine includes an oil cooler, an oil filter, and an starter motor for driving a crankshaft to rotate. The oil cooler and the starter motor are disposed on a front face, which is directed in an advancing direction of the vehicle, of a front portion of a lower block which forms an engine body. The oil filter is attached to an attachment seat provided on a side face of the front portion which is directed in the sideward direction. A communication oil path for communicating the oil cooler and the oil filter with each other is provided in the inside of the front portion.

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine for a vehicle which includes an oil cooler, an oil filter communicating with said oil cooler through a communication oil path, and an electric motor configured to drive a crankshaft to rotate and wherein said oil cooler and said oil filter are attached to a front portion of an engine body for facing in an advancing direction of said vehicle, comprising:

said oil cooler, said oil filter and said electric motor are disposed on an outer face of said front portion which includes a front face which faces in a forward direction which is the advancing direction and a side face directed in sideward direction perpendicular to the advancing direction, and said communication oil path is provided in the inside of said front portion while said electric motor is disposed so as to face forwardly,

wherein said oil cooler has a cylindrical case having a center axis directed forwardly and said electric motor has a drive shaft projecting in a vehicle widthwise direction from said front portion disposed in a juxtaposed relationship in the vehicle widthwise direction, and

said electric motor is disposed wherein the center line of rotation of said drive shaft is positioned higher than the center axis thereof.

2. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said oil cooler is disposed on said front face, said oil filter is attached to an attachment seat provided on said side face, part of said attachment seat has a swollen portion formed therein that is swollen forwardly from said side face, and a first oil cooler attachment boss to which said oil cooler is attached is provided at said swollen portion to project forwardly.

3. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said oil cooler has a cylindrical case having a center axis directed forwardly and said electric motor has a drive shaft projecting in a vehicle widthwise direction from said front portion disposed in a juxtaposed relationship in the vehicle widthwise direction, and

said electric motor is disposed such that the center line of rotation of said drive shaft is positioned higher than the center axis thereof.

4. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said engine body has said front portion being a crankcase, and said oil filter is entirely disposed within the width of said crankcase in the vehicle widthwise direction.

5. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said front face has a swollen face formed by causing a front wall having said front face to be curved and project in a forward direction for preventing interference with a crank web of said crankshaft, and a second oil cooler attachment boss to which said oil cooler is attached, and a second motor attachment boss to which said electric motor is attached are provided to project in the forward direction on said swollen face.

6. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said engine body has said front portion being a crankcase, and said oil filter is entirely disposed within the width of said crankcase in the vehicle widthwise direction.

7. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a hole which extends linearly along a half line which extends from said oil pump to said oil cooler is partitioned by a partition member to form a first oil path and a second oil path,

said first oil path is an introduction oil path for introducing oil from said oil pump to said oil filter,

said second oil path is said communication oil path for introducing the oil from said oil filter to said oil cooler, the oil from said oil cooler flows into a main oil path from which an oil path for supplying the oil to a main bearing for said crankshaft through a discharge oil path, and

said discharge oil path and said main oil path are disposed nearer to said crankshaft than said introduction oil path and said communication oil path.

8. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said front face has a projecting face which projects forwardly, and a first oil cooler attachment boss to which said oil cooler is attached and a first motor attachment boss to which said electric motor is attached are provided on said projecting face to project forwardly from said projecting face.

9. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said oil cooler has a cylindrical case having a center axis directed forwardly and said electric motor has a drive shaft projecting in a vehicle widthwise direction from said front portion disposed in a juxtaposed relationship in the vehicle widthwise direction, and

said electric motor is disposed such that the center line of rotation of said drive shaft is positioned higher than the center axis thereof.

10. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said front face has a swollen face formed by causing a front wall having said front face to be curved and project in a forward direction for preventing interference with a crank web of said crankshaft, and a second oil cooler attachment boss to which said oil cooler is attached, and a second motor attachment boss to which said electric motor is attached are provided to project in the forward direction on said swollen face.

11. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said engine body has said front portion being a crankcase, and said oil filter is entirely disposed within the width of said crankcase in the vehicle widthwise direction.

12. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 8, wherein a hole which extends linearly along a half line which extends from said oil pump to said oil cooler is partitioned by a partition member to form a first oil path and a second oil path,

said first oil path is an introduction oil path for introducing oil from said oil pump to said oil filter,

said second oil path is said communication oil path for introducing the oil from said oil filter to said oil cooler, the oil from said oil cooler flows into a main oil path from which an oil path for supplying the oil to a main bearing for said crankshaft through a discharge oil path, and

said discharge oil path and said main oil path are disposed nearer to said crankshaft than said introduction oil path and said communication oil path.

13. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said front face has a swollen face formed by causing a front wall having said front face to be curved and project in a forward direction for preventing interference with a crank web of said crankshaft, and a first oil cooler attachment boss to which said oil cooler is attached, and a first motor attachment boss to which said electric motor is attached are provided to project in the forward direction on said swollen face.

14. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said engine body has said front portion being a crankcase, and said oil filter is entirely disposed within the width of said crankcase in the vehicle widthwise direction.

15. The internal combustion engine for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a hole which extends linearly along a half line which extends from said oil pump to said oil cooler is partitioned by a partition member to form a first oil path and a second oil path,

said first oil path is an introduction oil path for introducing oil from said oil pump to said oil filter,

said second oil path is said communication oil path for introducing the oil from said oil filter to said oil cooler, the oil from said oil cooler flows into a main oil path from which an oil path for supplying the oil to a main bearing for said crankshaft through a discharge oil path, and

said discharge oil path and said main oil path are disposed nearer to said crankshaft than said introduction oil path and said communication oil path.

16. An internal combustion engine for a vehicle comprising:

an oil cooler;

an oil filter;

a communication path for providing communication between said oil filter and said oil cooler; and

an electric motor configured to drive a crankshaft to rotate;

wherein said oil cooler and said oil filter are attached to a front portion of an engine body for facing in an advancing direction of said vehicle;

said oil cooler, said oil filter and said electric motor being disposed on an outer face of said front portion which includes a front face which faces in a forward direction which is the advancing direction and a side face directed in a sideward direction perpendicular to the advancing direction;

said communication oil path being provided inside of said front portion while said electric motor is disposed so as to face in a forward direction,

wherein a hole which extends linearly along a half line which extends from said oil pump to said oil cooler is partitioned by a partition member to form a first oil path and a second oil path,

said first oil path is an introduction oil path for introducing oil from said oil pump to said oil filter,

said second oil path is said communication oil path for introducing the oil from said oil filter to said oil cooler, the oil from said oil cooler flows into a main oil path from which an oil path for supplying the oil to a main bearing for said crankshaft through a discharge oil path, and

said discharge oil path and said main oil path are disposed nearer to said crankshaft than said introduction oil path and said communication oil path.