General purpose engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10648396-B1
Application number	US-201816199709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2018
Priority date	Nov 26, 2018
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A general purpose engine includes: a crankcase to support an engine rotary shaft; a cylinder unit extending from the crankcase in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the engine rotary shaft; a cooling fan fixed to one of opposite ends of the engine rotary shaft; and a fan housing configured to have an air induction opening defined therein for the cooling fan and to cover the crankcase and the cylinder unit from one side of the engine rotary shaft. At a position of the fan housing which is opposed to the cooling fin of the cylinder unit, a cleaning access window is defined. The cleaning access window is covered by a debris covering that is capable of being selectively opened and closed. The debris covering has one end portion engaged with the fan housing and the other end portion removably mounted on the fan housing by a magnetic body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A general purpose engine which comprises:
a crankcase configured to support an engine rotary shaft rotatably;
a cylinder unit extending from the crankcase in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the engine rotary shaft;
a cooling fan fixed to one of opposite ends of the engine rotary shaft on one side thereof; and
a fan housing configured to have an air induction opening defined therein for the cooling fan and also to cover the crankcase and the cylinder unit from one side of the engine rotary shaft, wherein
a cleaning access window is defined at a position of the fan housing, which position is opposed to a cooling fin of the cylinder unit,
the cleaning access window is covered by a debris covering capable of being selectively opened and closed,
the debris covering has one end portion engaged with the fan housing and also has an other end portion removably mounted on the fan housing by means of a magnetic body,
the debris covering comprises:
a covering portion opposed to the cleaning access window;
a to-be-engaged portion engaged to the fan housing; and
a retainer portion configured to retain the magnetic body,

the retainer portion comprises a holding wall configured to hold the magnetic body in a condition with a magnetic attracting portion exposed to the fan housing,
the holding wall includes: a pair of longitudinal walls, which extend downwardly from an inner surface of the debris covering; and a bottom wall connecting the pair of longitudinal walls together,
the pair of the longitudinal walls and the bottom wall cooperate together to form a cross-sectional shape representing a U-shaped configuration, and the holding walls of the U-shaped configuration and the inner surface of the debris covering cooperate to define a storage space for accommodating therein the magnetic body,
the holding wall has a slit defined in the bottom wall thereof, the slit being so as to extend completely through the bottom wall, and
a portion of the magnetic body is exposed outwardly from the slit, the portion of the magnetic body being a part of the magnetic attracting portion.

2. A general purpose engine which comprises:
a crankcase configured to support an engine rotary shaft rotatably;
a cylinder unit extending from the crankcase in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the engine rotary shaft;
a cooling fan fixed to one of opposite ends of the engine rotary shaft on one side thereof; and
a fan housing configured to have an air induction opening defined therein for the cooling fan and also to cover the crankcase and the cylinder unit from one side of the engine rotary shaft, wherein
a cleaning access window is defined at a position of the fan housing, which position is opposed to a cooling fan of the cylinder unit,
the cleaning access window is covered by a debris covering capable of being selectively opened and closed,
the debris covering has one end portion engaged with the fan housing and also has an other end portion removably mounted on the fan housing by means of a magnetic body,
the debris covering comprises:
a covering portion opposed to the cleaning access window;
a to-be-engaged portion engaged to the fan housing; and
a retainer portion configured to retain the magnetic body,

the retainer portion is configured to have an insertion opening, through which the magnetic body is inserted, and a projecting body to avoid a loss of the magnetic body from the insertion opening,
the projecting body has: an inclined surface defined therein, which extends upwardly from a bottom wall of the retainer portion and is inclined relative to the bottom wall in a direction towards a storage space for accommodating the magnetic body; and a flat surface extending from the inclined surface in parallel to the bottom wall.

3. The general purpose engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a finger holding portion, to which a finger of a worker is engaged, is formed in a tip end of the retainer portion in the debris covering.

4. The general purpose engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the debris covering comprises a covering portion opposed to the cleaning access window and a guide wall engaged in the cleaning access window.

5. The general purpose engine as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the magnetic body is configured so that a magnetic attracting force acts in a condition with the guide wall engaged within the cleaning access window.

6. The general purpose engine as claimed in claim 4 , wherein an outer peripheral wall is formed on an outer edge side of the guide wall in the debris covering.

7. The general purpose engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the debris covering is provided with a tether cord that is engaged with the fan housing.

8. The general purpose engine as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the tether cord is a flexible string-like element formed integrally with the debris covering.

9. The general purpose engine as claimed in claim 7 , wherein an insertion hole, through which the tether cord is passed, is formed in the fan housing, and
the tether cord includes a loss preventing piece to avoid a loss thereof from the insertion hole.

10. The general purpose engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning access window is opposed to the cooling fin of each of cylinder units of a V-shaped two cylinders.

11. The general purpose engine as claimed in claim 10 , wherein, when viewed from an axial direction of the engine rotary shaft, an air cleaner is disposed between the two cylinders.

12. The general purpose engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one of the fan housing or the debris covering is a ferromagnetic body whereas an other of the fan housing or the debris covering is made of a resin material, the magnetic body being provided on the other of the fan housing or the debris covering.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Cook Jakob Daniel
• Sics Alexander Uldis

Classifications

• F01P5/02

  Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers · CPC title

• F01P2001/023

  Cooling cylinders (F01P2003/022 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01P11/06 Primary

  Cleaning (in general B08B); Combating corrosion (in general C23F) · CPC title

• F01P2011/063

  Cleaning (F01P2011/061 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01D34/003

  Means for cleaning the machine · CPC title