Engine unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023072896-A1
Application number	US-202217901333-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 1, 2022
Priority date	Sep 2, 2021
Publication date	Mar 9, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An engine unit includes a cylinder, a crankshaft, a crankcase, a generator, a sensor, and a coolant passage. The crankshaft is connected to a piston in the cylinder. The crankcase accommodates the crankshaft therein. The generator includes a rotor that rotates together with the crankshaft and a stator facing the rotor. The generator generates electric power by rotation of the rotor. The sensor detects a rotation position of the rotor. The coolant passage includes an ejection port, guides a coolant to the ejection port, and ejects the coolant from the ejection port toward the sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An engine unit comprising:
a cylinder; a crankshaft connected to a piston in the cylinder; a crankcase that accommodates the crankshaft; a generator that includes a rotor that rotates together with the crankshaft and a stator facing the rotor, and generates electric power by rotation of the rotor; a sensor configured to detect a rotation position of the rotor; and a coolant passage that includes an ejection port, guides a coolant to the ejection port, and ejects the coolant from the ejection port toward the sensor.

2 . The engine unit according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a facing portion facing the rotor in a radial direction of the rotor, and
wherein the coolant passage is configured to eject the coolant from the ejection port toward the facing portion of the sensor.

3 . The engine unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cover that covers the rotor and defines an accommodation space in which the rotor and the sensor are accommodated, wherein the sensor and the ejection port are disposed above a rotation center of the crankshaft.

4 . The engine unit according to claim 1 , wherein the coolant passage injects the coolant toward an upper surface of the sensor.

5 . The engine unit according to claim 1 , wherein the rotor has a cylindrical shape,
wherein at least a portion of an upper surface of the sensor faces an inner peripheral surface of the rotor in a radial direction above the rotation center of the crankshaft, and wherein the coolant passage is configured to inject the coolant toward the upper surface of the sensor in an axial direction of the crankshaft such that the coolant enters a space between the upper surface of the sensor and the inner peripheral surface of the rotor where the upper surface of the sensor and the inner peripheral surface of the rotor face each other in the radial direction.

6 . The engine unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cover that covers the rotor and defines an accommodation space in which the rotor and the sensor are accommodated, wherein the cover includes at least a part of the coolant passage.

7 . The engine unit according to claim 1 , wherein the crankcase includes a lubricant passage through which lubricating oil for lubricating a member in the crankcase flows,
wherein the coolant passage and the lubricant passage are connected to each other, and wherein the coolant passage ejects the lubricating oil toward the sensor as the coolant.

8 . The engine unit according to claim 7 , wherein an end portion of the crankshaft protrudes from a side wall of the crankcase to an outside of the crankcase,
wherein the rotor is fixed to the end portion of the crankshaft outside the crankcase, wherein the engine unit further comprises a cover attached to the crankcase so as to cover the rotor, wherein the cover includes the coolant passage, and wherein the coolant passage and the lubricant passage are connected to each other on a surface where the crankcase and the cover are in contact with each other.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Motors Ltd

Inventors

• Nishiyabu Masaki
• Hida Yuji
• Yamamoto Tetsuji

Classifications

• H02K5/203

  specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets · CPC title

• H02K11/215

  Magnetic effect devices, e.g. Hall-effect or magneto-resistive elements · CPC title

• H02K9/19

  for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil · CPC title

• F01P2050/24

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• F01P3/20 Primary

  Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine (F01P3/22 takes precedence) · CPC title