Engine and flywheel housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12297790-B2
Application number	US-202318119173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2023
Priority date	Mar 10, 2022
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

An engine includes: a cylinder block that has a cylinder included in a combustion chamber; a crankshaft that is placed in the cylinder block; a flywheel that is mounted to one end portion of the crankshaft; and a flywheel housing that is placed on a side of one end face of the cylinder block in a direction of the crankshaft and that houses the flywheel. The flywheel housing has a blow-by gas path through which a blow-by gas passes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An engine comprising:
a cylinder block that has a cylinder included in a combustion chamber, wherein the cylinder block includes a discharge port and a crankshaft opening;
a crankshaft, wherein a portion of the crankshaft is positioned in the crankshaft opening of the cylinder block;
a fuel pump;
a flywheel that is mounted to one end portion of the crankshaft; and
a flywheel housing that is positioned on a side of one end face of the cylinder block in a direction of the crankshaft and that houses the flywheel,
wherein the flywheel housing defines, within an interior of the flywheel housing, a blow-by gas path through which blow-by gas passes, wherein the blow-by gas path is further defined by a member configured to support the fuel pump, wherein the flywheel housing is positioned such that a blow-by gas discharged from the discharge port is received in the blow-by gas path, and wherein the blow-by gas path is configured such that blow-by gas discharged from the flywheel housing includes a gas component and an oil component.

2. The engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flywheel housing is positioned such that the blow-by gas discharged from the discharge port is discharged directly into the blow-by gas path.

3. The engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cylinder block includes:
a first row of at least one cylinder;
a second row of at least one cylinder, the second row positioned relative to the first row such that the first and second rows form a V-bank; and
a gas pipe that enables the blow-by gas that has passed through the blow-by gas path to be distributed to the V-bank.

4. The engine as claimed in claim 3 , comprising an oil separator that is connected with the gas pipe, and is configured to separate the oil component included in the blow-by gas.

5. The engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the cylinder block comprises a first row of at least one cylinder and a second row of at least one cylinder, the second row is positioned relative to the first row such that the first and second rows form a V-bank defining an intrabank area between the first row and the second row, and
the flywheel housing is positioned such that the blow-by gas path is configured to receive blow-by gas from the intrabank area.

6. The engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the cylinder block comprises a first row of at least one cylinder and a second row of at least one cylinder, the second row is positioned relative to the first row such that the first and second rows form a V-bank defining an intrabank area between the first row and the second row, and
the discharge port is positioned such that the discharge port is configured to discharge blow-by gas from the intrabank area.

7. The engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the discharge port is positioned between the crankshaft opening and an outlet of the blow-by gas path in an up and down direction.

8. The engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flywheel housing comprises a lower portion and an upper portion extending from the lower portion.

9. The engine as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the upper portion includes an outlet of the blow-by gas path.

10. The engine as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an oil separator, wherein blow-by gas discharged from the flywheel housing is directed to the oil separator via one or more pipes.

11. The engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the crankshaft is exterior to the interior of the flywheel housing.

12. A flywheel housing configured to house a flywheel provided in an engine,
the flywheel housing defining, within an interior of the flywheel housing, a blow-by gas path through which blow-by gas passes,
wherein the flywheel housing is configured to be coupled to a cylinder block of the engine such that, when the flywheel housing is coupled to the cylinder block, the blow-by gas path is configured to receive a blow-by gas that is discharged from a discharge port of the cylinder block,
wherein the flywheel housing is configured to be coupled to a support member such that the flywheel housing and the support member define the blow-by gas path, and wherein the support member is configured to support a fuel pump, and
wherein the blow-by gas path is configured such that blow-by gas discharged from the flywheel housing includes a gas component and an oil component.

13. The flywheel housing as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the discharge port is positioned between a crankshaft opening of the flywheel housing and an outlet of the blow-by gas path in an up and down direction.

14. The flywheel housing as claimed in claim 12 , comprising a lower portion and an upper portion extending from the lower portion.

15. The flywheel housing as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the upper portion includes an outlet of the blow-by gas path.

16. The flywheel housing as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the engine comprises a crankshaft, and wherein the flywheel housing is configured such that the crankshaft is exterior to the interior of the flywheel housing.

17. An engine comprising:
a cylinder block that has a cylinder included in a combustion chamber, wherein the cylinder block includes a discharge port and a crankshaft opening;
a crankshaft, wherein a portion of the crankshaft is positioned in the crankshaft opening of the cylinder block;
an oil separator;
a flywheel that is mounted to one end portion of the crankshaft; and
a flywheel housing that is positioned on a side of one end face of the cylinder block in a direction of the crankshaft and that houses the flywheel,
wherein the flywheel housing defines, within an interior of the flywheel housing, a blow-by gas path through which blow-by gas passes,
wherein the flywheel housing is positioned such that a blow-by gas discharged from the discharge port is received in the blow-by gas path,
wherein the blow-by gas path is configured such that blow-by gas discharged from the flywheel housing includes a gas component and an oil component, and
wherein blow-by gas discharged from the flywheel housing is directed to the oil separator via one or more pipes.

18. The engine as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the oil separator is positioned in an intra-bank area of the engine.

Assignees

• Yanmar Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hirao Yu
• Matsuo Shinya

Classifications

• F02N5/04

  of inertia type · CPC title

• F02B75/22

  with cylinders in V, fan, or star arrangement · CPC title

• F01M2013/005

  having one or more deoilers · CPC title

• F01M13/04 Primary

  having means for purifying air before leaving crankcase, e.g. removing oil · CPC title

• B63H21/38

  Apparatus or methods specially adapted for use on marine vessels, for handling power plant or unit liquids, e.g. lubricants, coolants, fuels or the like ({in outboard drives B63H20/001; } lubricating or cooling machines or engines in general F01 - F04) · CPC title