Engine lubrication system, engine, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11047272-B2
Application number	US-201715815722-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2017
Priority date	Nov 18, 2016
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

An engine lubrication system including an oil passage allowing inflow of oil in a crank chamber partitioned off in a crankcase of an engine, at least a part of the oil passage being formed by the crankcase, a scavenge pump accommodated in the crankcase and sucking the oil from the oil passage, an oil tank accumulating the oil sucked by the scavenge pump, and a feed pump supplying, to the engine, the oil accumulated in the oil tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine lubrication system, comprising:
an oil passage at least partially formed by a crankcase of an engine, said oil passage configured to receive an inflow of oil from a crank chamber partitioned off in the crankcase;
a scavenge pump accommodated in the crankcase and configured to suck the oil from the oil passage;
an oil tank configured to receive the oil sucked by the scavenge pump, said oil tank being separate from the engine and being connected to the engine with a pipe; and
an oil feed pump configured to feed the oil accumulated in the oil tank to the engine;
a relay chamber wherein the scavenge pump sucks the oil directly from the relay chamber;
wherein oil flows directly from the crank chamber to the relay chamber; and
wherein the relay chamber is located within the crankcase.

2. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a generator chamber, which is partitioned off in the engine, and is configured to accommodate a generator therein,
wherein the oil passage is configured to receive an inflow of the oil from the generator chamber.

3. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a clutch chamber, which is partitioned off in the engine, and is configured to accommodate a centrifugal clutch therein,
wherein the oil passage is configured to receive an inflow of the oil from the clutch chamber.

4. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a generator chamber, which is partitioned off in the engine, and is configured to accommodate a generator therein; and
the relay chamber, which is partitioned off in the engine, and is configured to receive an inflow of the oil from the generator chamber,
wherein the oil passage is configured to receive an inflow of the oil from the relay chamber.

5. The engine lubrication system according to claim 4 , wherein the scavenge pump is located in the relay chamber.

6. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a clutch chamber, which is partitioned off in the engine, and is configured to accommodate a centrifugal clutch therein; and
the relay chamber, which is partitioned off in the engine, and is configured to receive an inflow of the oil from the clutch chamber,
wherein the oil passage also is configured to receive an inflow of the oil from the relay chamber.

7. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a generator chamber, which is partitioned off in the engine, and is configured to accommodate a generator therein;
a clutch chamber, which is partitioned off in the engine, and is configured to accommodate a centrifugal clutch therein; and
the relay chamber, which is partitioned off in the engine, and is configured to receive an inflow of the oil from the generator chamber and an inflow of the oil from the clutch chamber,
wherein the oil passage is configured to receive an inflow of the oil from the relay chamber.

8. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 , further comprising a pump unit, said pump unit comprising the scavenge pump and the feed pump.

9. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 , further comprising a common shaft, wherein the scavenge pump and the feed pump are driven by the common shaft.

10. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the crank chamber comprises a plurality of crank chambers corresponding to a plurality of cylinders of the engine, and
wherein the oil passage comprises a plurality of oil passages corresponding to the plurality of crank chambers.

11. The engine lubrication system according to claim 10 , wherein the scavenge pump comprises a plurality of scavenge pumps corresponding to the plurality of oil passages.

12. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 , further comprising an oil pan mounted to a lower surface of the crankcase, wherein at least a portion of the oil passage is formed by the crankcase and the oil pan.

13. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 , wherein the oil passage comprises:
a first passage, which is formed by the crankcase and an oil pan mounted to a lower surface of the crankcase; and
a second passage, which is formed by the oil pan and a cover configured to cover an opening formed in the oil pan, wherein
the second passage is coupled to a downstream side of the first passage.

14. The engine lubrication system according to claim 13 , wherein the scavenge pump is configured to suck the oil from the second passage.

15. The engine lubrication system according to claim 14 , further comprising a pipe configured to connect the second passage to the scavenge pump.

16. The engine lubrication system according to claim 13 , further comprising a strainer configured to cover the opening of the oil pan.

17. The engine lubrication system according to claim 1 , wherein a part of said oil passage is formed by a passage forming portion formed on a lower surface of the crankcase to be open toward an oil pan and the oil passage is formed by joining the oil pan therewith.

18. An engine, comprising:
a crankcase;
an oil passage at least partially formed by a passage forming portion formed on a lower surface of the crankcase to be open toward an oil pan and the oil passage is formed by joining the oil pan therewith, said oil passage designed to receive an inflow of oil from a crank chamber partitioned off in the crankcase; and
a scavenge pump, which is located in the crankcase, and is configured to suck the oil from the oil passage and to supply the sucked oil to an oil tank,
a relay chamber wherein the scavenge pump sucks the oil directly from the relay chamber;
wherein oil flows directly from the crank chamber to the relay chamber; and
wherein the relay chamber is integrated into the crankcase.

19. A vehicle, comprising:
an engine comprising an oil passage at least partially formed by a crankcase, said oil passage designed to receive an inflow of oil from a crank chamber partitioned off in a crankcase;
a scavenge pump configured to suck the oil from the oil passage;
an oil tank, which is arranged outside the engine, and is configured to accumulate the oil sucked by the scavenge pump, said oil tank being separate from the engine and being connected to the engine with a pipe;
a feed pump configured to supply, to the engine, the oil accumulated in the oil tank; and
a plurality of seats aligned in a right-and-left direction of the vehicle,
wherein at least a portion of the engine is located between the plurality of seats in plan view, and is located below the plurality of seats in side view,
a relay chamber wherein the scavenge pump sucks the oil directly from the relay chamber;
wherein oil flows directly from the crank chamber to the relay chamber; and
wherein the relay chamber is located within the crankcase.

20. The vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein the scavenge pump and the feed pump are accommodated in the engine.

21. The vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein the engine is arranged astride a center of the vehicle in the right-and-left direction of the vehicle.

22. The vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein the oil tank is arranged at a side of the engine.

23. The vehicle according to claim 22 , wherein the oil tank is positioned either behind the engine or in front of the engine.

24. The vehicle according to claim 19 , wherein the engine comprises a paralle

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Uezu Junji

Classifications

• F01M11/02

  Arrangements of lubricant conduits · CPC title

• F01M1/02

  using lubricating pumps (pumps in general F04; lubricating pumps per se F16N) · CPC title

• F01M2001/126

  Dry-sumps · CPC title

• F01M1/12 Primary

  Closed-circuit lubricating systems not provided for in groups F01M1/02 - F01M1/10 · CPC title

• F01M2001/123

  using two or more pumps · CPC title