Device for lubricating a big-end bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11220938-B2
Application number	US-201816223928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2017
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A device lubricates a big-end bearing on a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. The device includes a piston with a fluid channel and an outlet channel fluidically connected thereto, and a connecting rod. The connecting rod has a small connecting rod eye, a large connecting rod eye and a connecting channel. The small connecting rod eye is fluidically connected to the outlet channel. The connecting channel forms a fluidic connection between the small and large connecting rod eyes so that a cooling lubricant fluid can be supplied from the fluid channel to the large connecting rod eye via the outlet channel, the small connecting rod eye and the connecting channel. In this way, the big-end bearing can be lubricated by cooling oil from the fluid channel of the piston.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for lubricating a big-end bearing on a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
a piston having a fluid channel, the fluid channel comprising an internal piston cooling fluid channel, the piston further comprising an outlet channel fluidically connected to the fluid channel;
a connecting rod connected in articulated pivotable fashion to the piston and having a small connecting rod eye, a large connecting rod eye and a connecting channel,
a piston pin which is received in the small connecting rod eye, the piston pin pivotably connecting the connecting rod to the piston, and having a fluid chamber formed as a continuous bore having end sides and which forms a fluidic connection between the outlet channel and the connecting channel;
at least one fluid guidance element extending from one of the end sides of the piston pin and which is arranged below an outlet opening of the outlet channel of the piston and via which the fluid is received from the outlet channel and can be supplied to the fluid chamber of the piston pin;

wherein:
the large connecting rod eye is configured to receive the big-end bearing;
the small connecting rod eye is fluidically connected to the outlet channel; and
the connecting channel forms a fluidic connection between the small connecting rod eye and the large connecting rod eye so that a cooling lubricant fluid is or can be supplied from the fluid channel to the large connecting rod eye via the outlet channel, the small connecting rod eye and the connecting channel.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the piston pin has an outer circumferential groove into which the outlet channel opens, and the fluid chamber of the piston pin is fluidically connected to the outer circumferential groove.

3. The device according to any of claim 2 , wherein:
the piston pin has a plurality of inlet channels which are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction around a central longitudinal axis of the piston pin and form fluidic connections between the outer circumferential groove and the fluid chamber of the piston pin.

4. The device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a small-end bearing which is received in the small connecting rod eye and has a passage which extends at least partially around a circumference of the small-end bearing.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the passage is dimensioned such that it acts as a choke in order to reduce a cavitation tendency in the connecting channel.

6. The device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the piston pin has a plurality of outlet channels which are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction around a central longitudinal axis of the piston pin and form fluidic connections between the fluid chamber and the passage.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein:
the piston pin has a plurality of inlet channels which are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction around a central longitudinal axis of the piston pin and form fluidic connections between the outer circumferential groove and the fluid chamber of the piston pin.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein:
the plurality of inlet channels is arranged rotationally symmetrically in a circumferential direction around the central longitudinal axis of the piston pin; and/or
the plurality of outlet channels is arranged rotationally symmetrically in a circumferential direction around the central longitudinal axis of the piston pin.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one fluid guidance element is a deflecting pipe piece or a hopper component.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein:
the at least one fluid guidance element is mounted rotationally fixedly in a piston pin eye of the piston or is connected rotationally fixedly to the piston pin.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the outlet channel of the piston opens into a piston pin eye, and in particular a further outlet channel of the piston in fluidic connection with the fluid channel opens into an opposite piston pin eye of the piston.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the fluidic connection between the outlet channel and the connecting channel is a continuous fluidic connection.

13. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid injection nozzle, which is directed onto an inlet opening of an inlet channel of the piston that is fluidically connected to the fluid channel.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein:
the fluid injection nozzle is provided separately from the piston and from the connecting rod; and/or
the fluid injection nozzle is received in or attached to a crankcase.

15. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a small-end bearing which is received in the small connecting rod eye and has a passage which extends at least partially around a circumference of the small-end bearing.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein:
the passage is dimensioned such that it acts as a choke in order to reduce a cavitation tendency in the connecting channel.

17. A motor vehicle, in particular a utility vehicle, with a device comprising:
a piston having a fluid channel, the fluid channel comprising an internal piston cooling fluid channel, the piston further comprising an outlet channel fluidically connected to the fluid channel;
a connecting rod connected in articulated pivotable fashion to the piston and having a small connecting rod eye, a large connecting rod eye and a connecting channel,
a piston pin which is received in the small connecting rod eye, the piston pin pivotably connecting the connecting rod to the piston, and having a fluid chamber formed as a continuous bore having end sides and which forms a fluidic connection between the outlet channel and the connecting channel;
at least one fluid guidance element extending from one of the end sides of the piston pin and which is arranged below an outlet opening of the outlet channel of the piston and via which the fluid is received from the outlet channel and can be supplied to the fluid chamber of the piston pin;

wherein:
the large connecting rod eye is configured to receive the big-end bearing;
the small connecting rod eye is fluidically connected to the outlet channel; and
the connecting channel forms a fluidic connection between the small connecting rod eye and the large connecting rod eye so that a cooling lubricant fluid is or can be supplied from the fluid channel to the large connecting rod eye via the outlet channel, the small connecting rod eye and the connecting channel.

Assignees

• Man Truck & Bus Ag

Inventors

• Malischewski Thomas
• Dietrich Jens
• Hirschmann Steffen
• Renner Dominik

Classifications

• F01M2001/086

  for lubricating gudgeon pins · CPC title

• F01M2001/083

  for lubricating cylinders · CPC title

• F01M1/06 Primary

  Lubricating systems characterised by the provision therein of crankshafts or connecting rods with lubricant passageways, e.g. bores (crankshafts, connecting-rods, per se F16C) · CPC title

• F16C33/1045

  Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing · CPC title

• F16C7/023

  for piston engines, pumps or the like · CPC title